The Digital Twin in the AEC/FM Industry: a literature review

The Digital Twin (DT) is a digital representation of a real-world entity. It provides both elements and dynamics of how the represented system operates throughout its lifecycle. Conceptualized in manufacturing, it spread to other sectors aiming to ride digital transformation, e.g. robotics, automobile, healthcare, and logistics. Recently it starts to enter the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) and Facility Management (FM) industry but the literature is still fragmented. To provide a comprehensive analysis of the Digital Twin in constructions, a systematic literature review was carried out. This methodology was intended to reach the following objectives: define the origin of the DT in AEC and its main features; show application fields and enabling technologies involved within the practice; analyse benefits getting from its adoption; highlight where the research has arrived up to now; and examine what are the feasible developments of this innovation and its relative gaps.