Enhancing asset management: Integrating digital twins for continuous permitting and compliance - A systematic literature review

The emergence of Digital Twin technologies (DT) has revolutionised construction works and asset management, thereby improving efficiency and control through exceptional precision and operational transparency. In this paper, various DT applications in construction industries were investigated and focused on their ability in continuous permitting and compliance checking within the construction industry. A systematic literature review was conducted, retrieving 1,698 documents from Scopus and Web of Science using keywords related to digital twins, construction, permitting, and compliance checking, where the PICO framework was applied, focusing on four key aspects: Population (construction industry), Intervention (digital twins), Comparison (traditional methods), and Outcome (efficiency and quality improvements in construction). This approach screened the relevant papers, and 80 publications were analysed and categorised into 8 categories: (Predictive Building Maintenance, Smart Building Asset Management, Building Energy Efficiency, Lifecycle Sustainability Assessment, Building Lifecycle Monitoring, Structural Health Monitoring, Safety Asset Management, and Stakeholder Management). The findings highlight DT's ability to enhance predictive maintenance, improve collaboration, and enable real-time energy optimisation, driving economic growth and streamlining construction. This paper aims to fill the gap by reviewing the various ethical limitations, emphasising data privacy; technical limitations, emphasising data quality; and operational limitations, focusing on continuous permitting and compliance checking. Future research should focus on developing comprehensive strategies to address these challenges and leverage these advancements for enhanced knowledge and asset management. This study provides insights for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners, emphasising the transformative potential of DT technologies in construction and their role in advancing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. • Real-time monitoring with digital twins (DTs) improves building lifecycle management. • Lifecycle assessments with DTs promote sustainable building practices. • DTs streamline compliance checks in construction projects. • DTs improve decision-making and monitoring in asset management. • DTs in smart buildings enhance energy efficiency and sustainability.