Current Status and Prospects of Digital Twin Approaches in Structural Health Monitoring

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a critical technology for ensuring infrastructure safety, extending their service life, and reducing their maintenance costs. With the rapid development of digital twin (DT) technology, an increasing number of studies have implemented DT in SHM systems. This study provides a detailed analysis of the role of DT in SHM through a comprehensive literature review, specifically examining its applications in damage detection, dynamic response monitoring, and maintenance management. The paper first reviews advances in DT applications across various fields, then systematically discusses how DT enhances monitoring accuracy, enables real-time performance, and supports predictive maintenance strategies in SHM. Finally, technical challenges and future research directions for DT implementation in SHM are explored. The findings highlight DT’s significant potential to improve both the efficiency and the accuracy of structural monitoring systems, while proposing innovative solutions for intelligent infrastructure management.