Digital Twins for Asset Management: Revolutionizing Building Performance with MEP BIM Data

Are Digital twins really a revolutionary development that the asset managers waiting for?

From the 2020s onward, Digital Twin has become a powerful tool for asset management. But the question is, would it be worth waiting for the technology of Digital Twins? To answer these questions, we will dive into the concept of digital twins. To understand how the virtual model comes to life, the process begins with a precise BIM modeling.

Digital twins: What exactly does it mean?

The term “Digital twin” reflects two concepts, Digital means something derived or made with the aid of digital technology, and twin means a replica or clone of a matter or object. Digital twins are a modern-era technology that extracts real-world data and information to create virtual clones of physical assets. For buildings, this includes essential M&E systems, requiring initial precise MEP BIM data to form the foundation.

Why did the need for digital twins eventually emerge for asset managers?

Before concluding the need for digital twins, we will firstly clarify the concept asset management.

• Asset management means managing assets in a way that allows them to deliver their fullest potential over their lifecycle without any interruptions. The creation of this virtual clone is primarily achieved using comprehensive MEP BIM services.
• Asset management is useful for firms that operate on a large scale. By using this technique, they are pre-informed of defects, from major to minor, ahead of the asset’s execution in real time.

There are many reasons for the growing interest of asset managers in digital twin technology. Let’s go through some of them:

• Real-time insights for Asset Performance Monitoring: With the availability of digital twin technology and real-world data, it became easier for asset managers, particularly for manufacturing industries where even a minor failure can result in a costly repair, to keep a close eye on the ongoing performance of their assets 24/7. This includes monitoring HVAC, electrical loads, and plumbing systems, and relies on the accuracy of the MEP BIM models.
• Decisions based on up-to-date data: Digital twins allow us to make better decisions based on up-to-date data by providing a computerized duplicate modelled on real-time information, which means we don’t have to rely on outdated assumptions and conventional techniques.
• Preventing downtime and adopting better maintenance practices: Digital twins create every possible scenario or situation in terms of testing the flaws of the asset with the inclusion of real-time data. By doing so, they can help asset managers prevent costly repairs ahead of time and reduce downtime for better performance of the asset. It enables them to adopt better and precise practices for maintenance, which is key for asset efficiency and optimization.
• System coordination for making better decisions: For making better choices, it’s obvious to have better and more concise options, and digital twins provide you with this by integrating data from different sources and sensors, such as how environmental changes affect the assets and how the asset behaves under different real-time conditions. This results in presenting a comprehensive view of the asset’s performance as well as concerns to the asset managers. By doing so, they can make better-informed decisions and invest their capital wisely.
• Increases productivity and reduces costly expenditures: Digital twins describe every aspect of the asset in a detailed way, highlighting possible defects that may emerge within it. This allows us to modify the asset without affecting it in real life. Therefore, it reduces costly expenses that might arise during field execution and increases productivity over a longer duration.

Examples of Renowned Building Structures Involving the digital twin concept:

• The Burj Khalifa
  The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai, UAE, was operated with the aid of digital twin technology. A digital model of every aspect was created to ensure its function and safety before field execution.

• One World Trade Centre
  One World Trade Centre, another iconic structure located in New York City, USA, was facilitated by the Technology of digital twin to optimize its performance and productivity over a long term.

• Shanghai Tower
  Shanghai Tower, located in China, is a 632-meter-tall structure that utilizes digital twin technology to monitor its structural health, preventing major potential consequences and ensuring it performs to its full potential.

What challenges does an asset manager face when taking digital twin technology into account?

As it is obvious, everything offers certain perks and brings challenges to unlock those perks. Likewise, an asset manager encounters challenges while implementing the concept of digital twin technology. One key challenge is data quality. Accurate outcomes require clean, construction-ready data, often sourced from LOD 400 MEP BIM deliverables. We will discuss some of them below:

• Capital expenditures: Capital management is the cornerstone for the execution of precise digital twin technology. To achieve accurate outcomes, it is important to invest in IoT (Internet of Things) networks, sensors and devices. This serves as a stepping stone for many enterprises, particularly small firms with limited resources.
• Risk of exposure to sensitive information: As we are familiar with the steps involved in implementing digital twin technology, we know that digital twins are typically connected to the cloud platforms and have internet access, which creates a major risk of system breaches by unauthorized users. This could lead to privacy concerns that affect the entire process such as changes in the operational data, which could result in major outcomes, like system failure on-site.

What measures should an asset manager adopt to prevent these challenges?

• Implement a Step-by-Step approach: To manage capital investment and improve workflow, adopt a step-by-step approach, starting with small projects and giving 100 percent effort to achieve better results. Once successful, reinvest the capital in the next project. Over time, after gaining experience in capital management, collaborate with different institutions and companies to overcome this challenge.
• Implementing Precautionary Cybersecurity Measures: To ensure privacy, companies should adopt robust cybersecurity practices to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access. They should use encryption techniques to make data unreadable to unauthorized users, ensuring operational continuity. Employees should be given seminars on measures to identify suspicious activities. Additionally, maintaining backup data plays an important role in case of a cyberattack.

Conclusion:

The Future of Asset Management Starts with Quality MEP Data

In modern era, where digital aspects are crucial for precise decision-making, it is equally important for asset managers to adopt the necessary techniques to ensure accuracy. Digital twins provide many opportunities to make better decisions based on real-time insights for optimizing assets. Asset managers are more likely to rely on digital twin technology in the future. To unlock new innovations, they must embrace this technology in this rapidly evolving landscape.

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