To conceptualise the requirements and shape of construction digital twins, literatureoften proposes ideal-types and frameworks involving sensorised, real-time, and highlyautomated systems. While concepts demand significant resource investments andchanges to business processes, their benefits remain debatable. To refocus on theneeds of construction practice, we propose an alternative characterisation ofconstruction digital twin systems. This study explores the conceptual diversity ofuseful systems through a framework comprising latency, fidelity, physical-digitalconnectivity, and analytic capabilities. It uses an engaged scholarship approach toapply this framework to two cases: A construction control room and an undergroundutility digital twin. Results show that these cases deviate from techno-centricperceptions, exhibiting variations in latency (low to high), fidelity (low to highrealism), physical-digital connectivity (loose to tight), and analytic capabilities(descriptive to predictive). We conclude that construction may defy techno-centricstereotypes. Instead of exploring how organisations must adapt to comprehensivetechnological twins, future research should prioritise contextual needs to developuseful systems that enhance decision-making practices in the field.
Scholtenhuis et al. (Wed,) studied this question.