Digital Twin Technologies for Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure: Recent Advances, Applications, and Future Directions

Abstract

The Digital Twin (DT) technology is one of the digital technologies that have been developed as a means of transforming the way of planning, operation, monitoring and management of infrastructure systems. The use of Digital Twin technology along with other advanced digital technologies has facilitated the development of sustainable infrastructure systems. This study offers a review of DT technologies with emphasis on its evolution, enablers, applications in infrastructure systems, contribution to sustainability, infrastructure monitoring and asset management, and research agenda. A comprehensive literature review was done using scholarly articles collected from Google Scholar search engine. In relation to the DT evolution, enablers, infrastructure application areas, sustainability, monitoring methods, and implementation challenges, relevant studies have been comprehensively searched and analysed based on the thematic synthesis approach. It can be concluded from this review that DTs have moved from being static digital representations to being intelligent cyber-physical systems that can perform tasks such as real-time monitoring, predictive analysis, and data-driven decision-making. Applications of DTs range from building infrastructure, transport infrastructure, bridge infrastructure, water infrastructure, and cultural infrastructure, where they play a role in improving efficiency, predictive maintenance, asset lifecycle management, and sustainability. Nevertheless, challenges such as interoperability, standardisation, cybersecurity, scalability, and cost of implementation still restrict the wide use of DT technology. The DT technology is an important enabler of digital transformation towards smart and sustainable infrastructure. Further research in intelligent analysis, interoperable frameworks, and collaborative implementation approaches will enhance the adoption of DT technology.