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Reduce Energy Consumption through Digital Twin: A Literature Review
No full textThe construction industry (CI) is confronted with a critical challenge: the promotion of digital transformation through digital twin (DT) technology, while simultaneously reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions within the built environment (BE). Given the substantial influence of buildings on global emissions, it is imperative to implement energy-efficient solutions. DT technology has emerged as a transformative instrument for the monitoring and optimising building energy use, particularly when it is incorporated with automated building management systems. This integration enables precise energy regulation, real-time insights, and substantial energy savings. This study conducted a systematic literature review of 60 articles from 2020 to 2024, examining the applications, benefits, and challenges of DT in the context of enhancing energy efficiency and facilities management within the BE.The results suggest that DT promotes sustainable practices by facilitating data-driven decision-making throughout the various phases of the building life cycle. This approach improves occupant comfort, energy optimisation, waste management, and air quality. Nevertheless, interoperability and data security were identified as obstacles to broader implementation, indicating that the integration of blockchain technology could improve the accuracy and reliability of DT. This research emphasises the contribution of DT to the advancement of sustainability by enhancing resilience in BE operations and reducing energy consumption. The insights obtained are instrumental in the development of industry standards, policy, and future research directions in the fields of sustainable building design, construction, and management
Practices and Challenges in Measuring and Monitoring Construction Productivity
Get PDFConstruction productivity has been the focus of extensive analysis and study, with many attempts made to measure and monitor it. However, there is still significant ambiguity surrounding its definition, and there is little agreement on the most effective measurement approach. This systematic review investigates how productivity has been conceptualised and measured in construction research. The review has focused on exploring research foci and key features of the frameworks, including productivity definition, level of analysis, and measurement approach. Findings reveal current productivity measurement in construction research often focuses narrowly on specific tasks and short-term metrics, hindering the assessment of long-term impacts. Traditional productivity assessments prioritise on-site activities, overlooking the critical influence of earlier phases such as feasibility, design, procurement, and commissioning. Additionally, most metrics prioritise economic factors, overlooking environmental, social, and governance considerations. To drive significant productivity improvements, a more holistic approach is necessary, involving all project phases and considering a broader range of factors beyond mere economic performance
Insights Into Flow Planning in Construction: The Benefits, Challenges and Implementation
No full textDespite the productivity gains associated with Lean Construction over the past three decades, the construction industry is still far from the improvements seen in other sectors. One aspect that has been misunderstood and poorly harnessed in construction is flow due to the differing nature of construction projects compared to manufacturing, diverging comprehension of flow, variable production rates across trades, complex logistics for tools, labor, and equipment, and the lack of a holistic model to assess flow on construction projects. This paper discusses the benefits, challenges, and procedural steps for flow planning and implementation on construction projects by interviewing 12 construction subject matter experts. The key flow planning benefits include finishing the project under schedule, improved labor efficiency, and greater work predictability. In contrast, the flow planning challenges were informational issues (incomplete design, owners making changes during construction, and not providing timely decisions), lack of experience with flow planning, material delays and defects, and contemporary issues in construction. The key prerequisites for effective flow planning include early trade partner engagement, buffer management, coaching and training, and continuous improvement. Compared to traditional schedule planning, the unique flow planning and implementation steps comprise identifying the flow scopes, planning the work zones and production math to balance production across various trades, and validating and perfecting the flow plan
Computing Infiltration for Sewer Asset Management
No full textSanitary sewer flows are greatly impacted by infiltration and inflow (I&I), which is water that enters the sewer but is not wastewater. The presence of increased wastewater flows due to I&I increases costs to wastewater utilities and ultimately the public as well as causes detrimental impact to the environment. Water measurement techniques, both from water distribution systems and also from wastewater collection systems, available now, allow near real time data collection that has not been possible in the past. The potential to measure, for a well-defined system, water into the sewer system from a water distribution network and water out of the sewer system through a wastewater collection sewer network, allows application of a water balance methodology which can then be used to quantify I&I as well as characterize sewer system performance thus enabling more effective asset management. Challenges to the application of this water balance concept include other water inputs and outputs from the defined sewer system, residence time of water use, travel time for water through the system, time-duration increment over which to conduct the analysis, and determination of a practical aerial extent to which the concept is viable for a well-defined system. Furthermore, having an established water balance then permits comparison to various I&I estimation models as well as validation of I&I mitigation efforts. This paper discusses a methodology for computing I&I using automated water meter technology
Enabling Rapid and Reusable Visualization of Construction Operations Using Simulation and Game Engines
No full textMeeting the UN\u27s Sustainable Development Goals will require the fast, efficient, and economic development of physical infrastructure systems using innovative construction means and methods. However, the fragmented nature of the construction industry prevents the ready testing and analysis of the impact of such untried methods on the construction site, especially regarding their potential impact on the rest of the construction site system. This can discourage the adoption of innovative methods in the construction industry. This paper presents a solution that enables the rapid testing of novel construction methods in virtual environments by integrating discrete event simulation (DES) and visualization using game engines. Tight coupling between the simulation and visualization engine to enable seamless data transfer between the two will enable the simulation model to consider spatial impacts on operations planning. Simultaneously it enables the simulation engine, ConStrobe (Construction Operations Network Simulation for Time and Resource-Based Evaluation), to communicate commands to visualize the sequence of activities under study. The developed framework, titled Vita3D, is implemented using the Unity game engine, and a case study demonstration of an earthmoving operation that needs to be optimized is presented to showcase the advantages of the developed framework. This framework also enables the use of smart construction objects for visualization that significantly reduces modelling effort through their reuse, thereby enabling the rapid development of construction operations simulation and 3D visualization
Predicting and Enhancing Indoor Environmental Quality in Educational Environments: Latest Trends in AI and Machine Learning Applications
Get PDFIndoor environmental quality (IEQ) affects students\u27 health and academic performance who spend substantial time in school environments. This systematic literature review article explores how Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine learning (ML) can predict and enhance IEQ within educational environments. A systematic review of 20 articles published between 2021 and 2024 was conducted using the PRISMA method, with all articles retrieved from the Scopus database. This article addresses three key research questions: 1) What IEQ factors are measured in university buildings, and why are they studied? 2) Which IoT sensors are employed in university buildings, and how are their data collected and managed? and 3) Which machine learning models are used for occupant comfort prediction in IEQ studies? The findings suggest air quality and thermal comfort are the most studied IEQ factors. These factors are primarily monitored using IoT sensors that enable continuous, real-time monitoring. None of the reviewed studies directly addressed acoustic comfort, highlighting a gap for future research. These IoT sensors are often integrate edge and cloud computing to ease data collection and reduce disruptions. Most articles used supervised learning models, of which 50% used deep learning techniques exclusively, 20% relied on traditional models, and 30% adopted a hybrid strategy combining traditional and deep learning ML. Reinforcement learning methods have also shown promise for dynamic HVAC and lighting control, although their adoption remains less common
Improving Supply Chain Efficiency through Traceability Technology Adoption in Residential Construction: A Waste Process Approach
No full textThe construction industry has been increasingly adopting traceability technology to capitalize on various delivery benefits and improve production efficiency. Such benefits include enhanced supply chain management, improved project efficiency, improved sustainability and blockchain integration. Further, construction companies are investing in building product traceability to address growing consumer interest in transparency relating to material provenance and quality and to ensure materials are sourced sustainably and comply with regulations. Despite these benefits, analysis of how traceability technology can improve supply chain efficiency has been limited, particularly in the residential construction sector. Utilizing a case study, this research pilots a new approach in analyzing a residential building component supply chain through a waste process lens and proposes key stages where efficiency could be improved in existing processes. Findings support the benefits in adopting traceability technology to address fragmentation in the flow of information across the supply chain. Although this case research focuses on part of a specific supply chain i.e. timber component manufacturing to on-site construction/assembly, we demonstrate benefits in analyzing existing construction material/product supply chains via waste processes and highlight opportunities for future research to explore how the integration of traceability technology into supply chain processes can be improved
Connecting Possibilities: Common Data Environment for Dynamic Information Platforms
Get PDFCommon Data Environments (CDE) play a crucial role in the development of building life-cycle information management platforms, such as digital twins. However, the evolution of CDEs has traditionally been driven by the needs and perspectives of building projects and their developers. This work shifts the focus to facility management (FM), exploring the potential of positioning CDEs at the center of digital twin development for enhanced FM outcomes. The literature review highlights persistent challenges in developing CDEs, particularly issues related to interoperability and trust. These challenges are echoed in the survey results, which also emphasize the need for a two-fold approach. Firstly, a system approach which addresses the fragmented, siloed nature of existing FM systems by fostering better integration and interoperability and secondly a place approach recognizing and leveraging CDEs as both physical and virtual spaces that support FM processes and workflows. This perspective positions CDE as a strategic element in building life-cycle information platforms, aligning with broader FM processes and practices. The work is relevant to facility managers as it provides insights to the need to integrate siloed systems to optimize data use and create future proof information management platforms as well as positions CDE as a tool for both physical and digital FM spaces. By taking an organizational and social approach, it also provides insight to construction and building management professions to develop holistic approaches for building information management. Finally, it is beneficial to researcher and policy makers to identify the conceptual framework of CDE and inform policy on digital transformation in FM
Exploring the Effect of Communication on Sustainable Knowledge Management
No full textEffective communication abilities are vital for facilitating Knowledge Management within the construction sector, especially in relation to sustainable development goals objectives. This study examines the influence of communication skills on sustainable Knowledge management practices, stressing how effective and clear communication promotes collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovative thinking. A thorough systematic literature review was adopted to point out best practices and strategies for enhancing communication to advance sustainable results in construction initiative
Effectiveness of Rapid-Set CSA Concrete Mixes for Sustainable Pavement Repair
No full textRapid and sustainable pavement repairs are critical to minimizing road closure times, reducing environmental impacts, and ensuring infrastructure longevity. This study evaluates the effectiveness of rapid-set calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) concrete mixes compared to traditional concretes (Type III and novel Type X) for pavement repair applications. The research investigates the early-age and long-term mechanical performance of these materials, focusing on compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, shrinkage, and fresh properties. A comprehensive experimental program was conducted using standardized testing methods (ASTM C39, C78, C496, and C157) to provide reliable and comparative data. Results showed that CSA mixes achieved superior early-age strength, exceeding 3,000 psi within four hours and meeting long-term benchmarks of over 5,000 psi at 28 days. Moreover, CSA mixes exhibited significantly lower shrinkage compared to traditional concretes, enhancing dimensional stability. Correlation analyses identified the nuanced influence of water-to-cement ratio, cement content, and polymer additives on shrinkage and strength performance, highlighting the critical role of optimized mix design. These findings demonstrate the potential of CSA-based concretes to address current challenges in pavement repair, including rapid strength development, reduced maintenance frequency, and enhanced sustainability. Practical implications include less traffic disruption, reduced carbon emissions from delays, and resource efficiency, aligning with global sustainability goals. This study provides a pathway for adopting CSA-based materials as a durable, high-performance solution in pavement repair, offering a significant contribution to advancing sustainable construction practices