Towards individualised precast concrete construction-applying concepts of industry 4.0 to industrialised building components

Rising global construction demand calls for greater economic efficiency and ecological sustainability. Precast concrete construction (PCC) can reduce on-site errors and waste by using controlled production environments. However, PCC remains limited by traditional, labour-intensive methods ill-suited to automation and individualised elements. Advances in digital fabrication enable customised concrete modules at scale, but realising this potential requires consistent digital representations that integrate design and production. This paper presents an integrated framework leveraging Industry 4.0 concepts to overcome these limitations, specifically employing the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) to implement modular Digital Twins (DTs). Drawing on perspectives from multiple disciplines, this research outlines design and optimisation methods that demonstrate the potential for highly differentiated, precise concrete modules from various digital production processes. Based on a conceptual multi-storey building as a case study, this work explores advances in the design and production of precast concrete modules to highlight the diverse requirements and use cases for DTs in PCC. Three DT case studies are developed, which support design, production, and quality control. These include the simulation-based geometric modularisation of building elements to support early design phases, the monitoring and structuring of production data for analytical insights, and the management of geometric deviations of individual building modules, assessed in relation to their cumulative effect on the overall structural assembly. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating the DT concept via the AAS to manage complexity across design and production phases of individualised precast structures, paving the way for more sustainable and efficient construction practices in concrete. • Digital fabrication enhances resource efficiency and differentiation in precast concrete construction. • A Digital Twin framework is developed using Industry 4.0 standards and the Asset Administration Shell (AAS). • A conceptual building structure illustrates the diverse Digital Twin use cases for precast modules. • Three case studies show Digital Twin implementations in early design, production monitoring, and quality control. • Application-specific AAS enable consistent data use throughout the building lifecycle, supporting automation and interoperability.