Research on digital construction integration for complex transportation hub buildings: a case study of Kunming Changshui International Airport T2 Terminal

Against the backdrop of accelerated development in smart cities and digital infrastructure, the construction industry is undergoing profound transformation. Traditional construction models have exposed issues such as extensive management, fragmented information, and cost overruns when faced with multi-disciplinary collaboration, high-density operations, and high-frequency delivery demands. As a major national hub project during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the T2 Terminal of Kunming Changshui International Airport systematically integrated emerging digital technologies, including BIM, IoT, BeiDou positioning, intelligent sensing, digital payment, and digital twins, to explore the construction of a “158” digital construction system for the entire project lifecycle. This paper examines the implementation path of the project, analyzing its key mechanisms in forward design, construction supervision, measurement and payment, and data delivery, while discussing the role and challenges of digital technologies in enhancing the quality, safety, cost control, and delivery efficiency of large-scale public projects. The research demonstrates that model-driven digital construction has become a critical means of improving transparency, controllability, and collaboration in engineering projects, warranting widespread adoption in complex civil engineering fields.