This thesis deals with asset management of structures through Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Digital Twins.

Background: Current inspection and management processes for civil structures are time-consuming and can even be inaccurate. There is an increasingly high potential to improve these processes through recent advances in technology. Digital Twins offer a common platform to these technologies, so they can interact and be used to their optimal performance. Other industries have significantly advanced in the development of Digital Twins, however, in the construction industry there are still many gaps and room for improvement.

Aim and objectives: The main aim of this project was to investigate the status of Digital Twins in the construction industry and propose a methodology for a Digital Twin for asset management of structures. The three immediate objectives sought are (i) Perform a literature review to establish the current practice with digital twins, in both construction and other industries, and what are the gaps for asset management of structures; (ii) Participate in a pilot experimental program that yields data to a potential digital twin prototype; and (iii) Define a methodology for a digital twin for asset management of structures which fills the identified gaps.

Methods of investigation: A literature review was performed and served as basis for the development of a methodology for a digital twin. A pilot experimental program was defined and performed, and its results were used for BIM and Finite Element (FE) models. A webapp was also created using Autodesk Forge and Java programming language, andthe BIM model was uploaded into it.

Results: The literature review provided insight into the maturity level of digital twins, as well as on bridge inspection, maintenance and monitoring, BIM, facility and asset management, and Bridge Management Systems (BMS). A methodology to achieve a digital twin for asset management was proposed, and the conducted experimental program yielded data results to be used in future research.

Conclusion: There has been significant progress in technology to improve structural assessment and analysis, however, their full potential is still under-explored. A digital twin created in a common data environment can provide a platform for these technologies to improve efficiency of current practices. Nonetheless, the construction industry is still significantly behind other industries such as aerospace and automotive.

The Engineering and Construction (E&C) industry has vast potential to leverage technology for solving current asset management issues, with significant environmental and financial benefits. This study investigates the use of Digital Twins (DTs) for asset management of civil structures, identifying a gap between the perceived potential of DTs and practical applications due to misconceptions, industry fragmentation, and lack of standardizations. To address this, a literature review and experimental programs were conducted, leading to the development and validation of a proof-of-concept DT platform applied to two case studies. The study concludes with a purpose-driven DT roadmap to address the gap between potential and practical applications in the E&C industry.

Background: the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and DTs for asset management in construction offers a promising solution to improve current processes, which are often time-consuming or inefficient. With technology rapidly advancing and the advent of Industry 4.0, there is a growing belief in the transformative potential of DTs to address longstanding challenges within the industry. By leveraging these innovative tools, stakeholders aim to enhance operational efficiency, optimize maintenance practices, and ultimately revolutionize infrastructure asset management.

Aims and objectives: this study aims to investigate the use of DTs to improve asset management processes within the E&C industry. The objectives include a thorough investigation of DTs, establishing their purpose within the industry, proposing a replicable DT methodology, demonstrating the methodology through case studies, and addressing the gap between potential and practical applications to promote DT dissemination.

Methodological approach:

i. Identify problem: thorough literature review and DT investigation (Paper I).

ii. Define solution: understand the purpose of DT applications in E&C (Paper II).

iii. Methodology and Demonstration: propose and demonstrate a replicable DT methodology through experimental work, digital modelling, and case studies (Papers III, IV, and V).

iv. Evaluation: propose a purpose-driven DT roadmap to evaluate the impact of applications, address the gap between potential and applications, and promote widespread DT adoption (Paper VI).

Results: the main results include a deep DT investigation, experimental work with a reinforced concrete beam, snow galleries and a trough bridge, digital models using BIM and finite elements, a scalable DT platform methodology demonstrated in two case studies, and a roadmap from conclusions and lessons learned to promote DT adoption in the industry.

Conclusions: given the particularities of the E&C industry and its assets, DTs can primarily benefit asset management and maintenance processes by enabling real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and data integration for improved safety and efficiency. To address the gap between potential and practical applications, two paradigm shifts are proposed: shifting the perception of DTs from a digital model to integrated technology tools, and adopting a generalizable, purpose-focused approach instead of context-specific frameworks.