Digital Twin based built environment asset management services development

Abstract

The digital twin concept emerged recently in the Architecture, Engineering, Constructions and Operations domain and the interest for digital built asset management service implementations is increasing. However, most of the applications are developed according to custom approaches, preventing the generalisation and modularisation. This article presents a methodological framework for digital twin-based applications development, enabling data centric built asset management services. Digital twin-based applications support effective data-centric processes in the management of critical built assets. The proposed approach is based on a flexible and federated data modelling approach, enabling the dynamic data management operations. The federated data model acts as an interface and connection among different domain knowledge. The service requirement definition provides the input specification for the digital twin-based application development, accomplished through the modelling of the three fundamental components: data, processes, and algorithms. These components are assembled through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), supporting the implementation of the DT-based services. The proposed approach is applied to the West Cambridge Digital Twin research facility. In this context, the implementation of asset management service is demonstrated through a building energy sub-metering strategy. The proposed approach allows flexible and interoperable data-centric applications development, contributing to the generalisation and scalability of digital twin-based built asset management applications. This aims at providing a consistent approach that can be employed in different asset management domains, where the digital twin technologies play a central role in service innovation.