TY - JOUR
T1 - Digital twins for urban underground space
AU - Babanagar, Nandeesh
AU - Sheil, Brian
AU - Ninić, Jelena
AU - Zhang, Qianbing
AU - Hardy, Stuart
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024
PY - 2025/1
Y1 - 2025/1
N2 - Digital twins (DTs) offer promising benefits to address several inherent problems in underground construction, yet confusion surrounds the concept due to its context-specific nature which hinders more widespread adoption. This paper seeks to clarify DT-related terminologies from a built environment perspective and define the features and maturity levels of DTs for underground spaces, considering their unique challenges. A layered architecture for constructing DTs is proposed, offering various options based on functionality, technological advancement, and expected value. Additionally, a comprehensive literature review of technologies enabling the development of digital twins for underground spaces is presented, including data-driven ground modelling, site investigation and design process integration with BIM, computational BIM, and advanced sensing and instrumentation. The paper identifies synergies between DTs and the observational method in geotechnical engineering, highlights research gaps, and proposes a transition to a prescriptive, knowledge-based DT. Furthermore, exemplar use cases of underground DTs throughout their lifecycle are explored, demonstrating their potential value.
AB - Digital twins (DTs) offer promising benefits to address several inherent problems in underground construction, yet confusion surrounds the concept due to its context-specific nature which hinders more widespread adoption. This paper seeks to clarify DT-related terminologies from a built environment perspective and define the features and maturity levels of DTs for underground spaces, considering their unique challenges. A layered architecture for constructing DTs is proposed, offering various options based on functionality, technological advancement, and expected value. Additionally, a comprehensive literature review of technologies enabling the development of digital twins for underground spaces is presented, including data-driven ground modelling, site investigation and design process integration with BIM, computational BIM, and advanced sensing and instrumentation. The paper identifies synergies between DTs and the observational method in geotechnical engineering, highlights research gaps, and proposes a transition to a prescriptive, knowledge-based DT. Furthermore, exemplar use cases of underground DTs throughout their lifecycle are explored, demonstrating their potential value.
KW - BIM
KW - Digital twins
KW - Observational method
KW - Underground construction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85207077610&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tust.2024.106140
DO - 10.1016/j.tust.2024.106140
M3 - Review Article
AN - SCOPUS:85207077610
SN - 0886-7798
VL - 155
JO - Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology
JF - Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology
IS - Part 1
M1 - 106140
ER -