A scientometric analysis and critical review of digital twin applications in project operation and maintenance
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 15 August 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Recent emerging information technologies like digital twin (DT) provide new concepts and transform information management processes in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Although numerous articles are pertinent to DT applications, existing research areas and potential future directions related to the state-of-the-art DT in project operation and maintenance (O&M) are yet to be studied. Therefore, this paper aims to review the state-of-the-art research on DT applications in project O&M.
Design/methodology/approach
The current review adopted four methodological steps, including literature search, literature selection, science mapping analysis and qualitative discussion to gain a deeper understanding of DT in project O&M. The impact and contribution of keywords and documents were examined from a total of 444 journal articles retrieved from the Scopus database.
Findings
Five mainstream research topics were identified, including (1) DT-based artificial intelligence technology for project O&M, (2) DT-enabled smart city and sustainability, (3) DT applications for project asset management, (4) Blockchain-integrated DT for project O&M and (5) DT for advanced project management. Subsequently, research gaps and future research directions were proposed.
Originality/value
This study intends to raise awareness of future research by summarizing the current DT development phases and their impact on DT implementation in project O&M among researchers and practitioners.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, UK, for supporting this research. The authors are also grateful to the Editor and reviewers for their comments to improve the quality of this paper. This paper forms part of the first author’s research project where similar research backgrounds but different scopes and/or analyses may have been published.
Citation
Lu, M. and Antwi-Afari, M.F. (2024), "A scientometric analysis and critical review of digital twin applications in project operation and maintenance", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-03-2024-0304
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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