Digital Twins in Construction: A New Approach to Reducing Carbon Emissions

Researchers from the Beijing University of Technology have developed a digital twin model to analyze the influencing factors of carbon emissions in construction processes. The study, financially supported by the Beijing Municipal Social Science Foundation, has presented a systematic conceptual model that guides the development of carbon emission simulation models for the construction process. The research aims to enable carbon emissions management and analysis of construction equipment from a holistic to an individual level.

Key Takeaways:

• The implementation process in construction phases involves numerous entities with intricate relationships, posing challenges in simulation model development.
• The study proposes a digital twin model and companion carbon spatial theory considering building carbon emissions.
• A hybrid simulation modeling method integrating system dynamics, discrete event, and agent-based simulation is presented to establish a mixed simulation model of construction carbon emissions.
• The case study results indicate an error rate of 5.46% for the simulation model, affirming its validity.
• Significant carbon emissions from idle machinery during queuing were found, with a maximum value reaching 36.5 kgCO2.
• Scenario optimization achieved an overall reduction of 17.03 kgCO2 compared to the original case scenario.
• Focusing solely on a specific piece of construction equipment may result in an overall increase in overall construction carbon emissions (5.73% increase).
• Dump trucks reducing emissions by 43.4% compared to 15-ton trucks was found to be a significant reduction.
• The study is a significant step towards enabling carbon emissions management and analysis of construction equipment from a holistic to an individual level.

Statistics:

• Error rate of the simulation model: 5.46%
• Maximum carbon emissions from idle machinery during queuing: 36.5 kgCO2
• Overall reduction of carbon emissions through scenario optimization: 17.03 kgCO2
• Percentage increase in overall construction carbon emissions: 5.73%
• Emissions reduction for 30-ton dump trucks compared to 15-ton trucks: 43.4%

Sources:

• A Hybrid Simulation Modelling Approach for Construction Carbon Emissions Based On Digital Twins. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2025;522.