The findings are particularly relevant as the construction industry faces growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining efficient building operations. The article notes that construction globally accounts for nearly 40 percent of energy-related carbon emissions and consumes more than 30 percent of natural resources.
Why BIM Alone Is Not Enough
BIM has become an important digital tool for the architecture, engineering, and construction sector. It allows professionals to create detailed three-dimensional building models, coordinate work across disciplines, detect design conflicts and estimate material requirements before construction begins.
However, conventional BIM models are largely static. Once a building is occupied, the model may no longer reflect changing conditions such as energy consumption, indoor temperature, equipment performance, occupancy levels or structural conditions.
Suharwanto's analysis explains that this creates a gap between the information used to design and construct a building and what actually happens during its operation. Digital Twin technology can help close that gap by connecting the physical building with a continuously updated virtual representation.
A Digital Twin can receive information from Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and other systems. Data such as temperature, humidity, energy consumption, occupancy and equipment conditions can then be analyzed to provide real-time information about building performance.
When BIM and Digital Twins are integrated, the BIM model provides the building's structural and spatial information, while the Digital Twin adds continuously changing operational data. This transforms a digital building model from a passive information repository into a more active system for managing real-world building performance.
Literature Review Reveals Major Efficiency Gains
Suharwanto used a qualitative, desk-based research approach based on library research and a narrative synthesis of existing literature. The analysis drew on academic sources from databases including Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar.
The review also considered international standards, including ISO 19650 for BIM and ISO 23247 for Digital Twins, as well as industry benchmarks and policy documents. The selected literature primarily covered developments published between 2018 and 2026.
Rather than conducting a field experiment, Suharwanto compared and synthesized findings from previous studies. The literature was examined for recurring themes involving data exchange, real-time monitoring, energy optimization, carbon reduction, resource management and organizational barriers.
The analysis identified several measurable benefits associated with BIM–Digital Twin integration.
Key findings include:
- 18–28 percent lower operational energy consumption through real-time, adaptive control of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and other building loads.
- Up to 30 percent less equipment downtime through predictive maintenance based on continuous sensor monitoring.
- Up to 35 percent less operational water waste through sensor-based leak detection and resource management.
- 15–20 percent lower lifecycle operating expenditure through more efficient maintenance scheduling.
- More than 85 percent material recovery during renovation or building deconstruction in the reviewed application.
- Up to 15 percent lower artificial lighting loads through the integration of building data, occupancy information and real-time environmental monitoring.
These figures come from the body of literature synthesized in the article rather than from a single field experiment conducted by Suharwanto. The author therefore presents them as evidence from the reviewed studies supporting the potential of BIM–Digital Twin integration.
From Reactive Maintenance to Predictive Management
One of the most important applications identified in the study is predictive facility maintenance.
Traditional maintenance often depends on scheduled inspections or action after equipment begins to fail. By connecting sensors to BIM component identifiers, a Digital Twin can continuously monitor equipment and identify signs of deterioration.
For example, acoustic and vibration sensors can detect unusual equipment behavior. The system can then alert facility managers and associate the problem with the precise component and location recorded in the BIM model.
This approach can help maintenance teams respond before a major failure occurs. It can also reduce unnecessary inspections, equipment downtime and premature replacement of components.
The same digital ecosystem could support a circular approach to construction. Material information can be maintained throughout a building's lifecycle, creating a digital record that helps identify materials and components suitable for reuse or recycling when a building is renovated or dismantled.
Major Barriers Remain
Despite the potential benefits, widespread adoption will require more than installing sensors and software.
Suharwanto identifies data interoperability as one of the biggest technical challenges. BIM commonly uses standardized data structures designed to represent relatively stable building information, while Digital Twins must process high-frequency streams of dynamic data.
Differences between these systems can result in information loss, broken connections between datasets or processing delays. The article therefore emphasizes the need for open standards and shared data structures that allow different technologies to communicate effectively.
There are also organizational challenges. Companies may face high upfront costs for sensors, computing infrastructure and Digital Twin platforms. Questions about data ownership, cybersecurity, privacy and intellectual property can further complicate implementation.
The construction workforce may also require additional digital skills. Suharwanto recommends stronger collaboration among information technology specialists, software engineers, civil engineers, architects and facility managers.
Implications for Sustainable Buildings
For construction companies and building owners, BIM–Digital Twin integration could provide a way to manage sustainability beyond the design stage. Instead of treating energy efficiency and resource use as targets established during planning, building performance can be monitored continuously after occupancy.
Suharwanto of Universitas Wiralodra argues that BIM and Digital Twins should be viewed not simply as two software technologies that need to be connected, but as part of a broader socio-technical information ecosystem covering the entire building lifecycle.
The study recommends three strategic priorities: standardizing data infrastructure, strengthening lifecycle governance, and building socio-technical capabilities. Policymakers could also support adoption through standardized digital procurement frameworks and incentives for lifecycle asset digitization.
If these barriers can be addressed, the integration of BIM and Digital Twins could help construction and facility management move toward smarter, more resilient and lower-carbon buildings.
Author Profile
Suharwanto is affiliated with Universitas Wiralodra, Indonesia and serves as the corresponding author of the article. His work in this publication focuses on Building Information Modeling, Digital Twins, sustainable construction, project efficiency and digital transformation in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector. The journal article does not specify Suharwanto's academic degree, so no degree is stated here.
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