BIM and Digital Twin for Developing Convergence Technologies as Future of Digital Construction

TLDR

The construction industry has historically been slow to adopt digital technologies, viewing remote operations and robotics as farfetched, but COVID‑19 accelerated the need for safe, remote work and advanced automation. The paper seeks to identify gaps and 11 disruptive technologies that could transform construction, and to develop a roadmap for implementing these technologies. The authors analyze current technology adoption and propose a roadmap for developing and implementing required construction technologies. The proposed roadmap serves both as a theoretical guide for organizational strategy and a practical framework for industry‑wide implementation, enabling policymakers to shape construction strategies through 2030.

Abstract

The construction industry is slow to adopt new technologies. The implementation of digital technologies and remote operations using robots were considered farfetched affairs and unbelievable approaches. However, the effect of COVID-19 on clients and construction companies put high pressure on construction managers to seek digital solutions and justified the need for remote operating or distant controlling technologies. This paper aims to investigate the state of play in construction technology implementation and presents a roadmap for developing and implementing required technologies for the construction industry. The COVID-19 disruption required new methods of working safely and remotely and coincided with the advent of advanced automation and autonomous technologies. This paper aims to identify gaps and 11 disruptive technologies that may lead to upheaval and transformation of the construction sector, perhaps in this decade. A road map for technology implementation can be helpful in developing business strategies at the organizational level as a theoretical measure, and it can facilitate the technology implementation process at the industry level as a practical measure. The roadmap can be used as a framework for policymakers to set industry or company strategies for the next 10 years (2030).