DigitalTwin4FM #1 – Digital Twin vs BIM Model: What’s the Difference?
Digital Twin vs BIM model – What is the difference?
What is a Digital Twin in Facility Management? Shaw and Fruhlinger (2019) describe it as “a digital representation of a physical object or system.” Parrott and Warshaw (2017) add that they reflect real-world objects, processes, or systems and can be defined “as an evolving digital profile of the historical and current behavior of a physical object or process that helps optimize business outcomes.” Learn the key differences between Digital Twin vs BIM models for facility management. Discover their unique benefits and applications.
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A Digital Twin dynamically maps the state of an object, collects data, and uses simulations to create a data-rich, “living” model that behaves like its real-world counterpart. This can have many useful applications, from continuous monitoring, fault detection, and maintenance planning to testing new ideas and “what if” scenarios.
Digital Twins, as active digital models of physical assets, provide the decision-support information needed to improve asset performance, influence future building design and reduce risk.
This article is part of the “Digital Twin for Property Managers” series promoting the training of the same title and explaining the path to delivering BIM models for Facility Management purposes and transforming them into a Digital Twin of the facility. Click below to check the previous posts:
- Digital Twin vs BIM Model: What’s the Difference?
- Asset Information Requirements and Essential Documentation
- Introduction and Laser Scanning Requirements
- BIM Arrangements with Facility Management Team
- BIM Workflow Output Standards for Property Managers
The Historical Roots of Digital Twin in Facility Management
The concept is not new, dating back to the 1970s, as it originated in NASA’s Apollo program. We used dual “twin” models of spacecraft to compare an object sent into space with a replica on Earth, to allow scientists to replicate conditions and test scenarios.
Knowing the concept of the BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology, associating that it is represented by an information model and not delving further into the subject, one might think that these concepts are convergent. Digital Twin is similar to BIM, we represent a model of an object with attached information. The differences between them are crucial.
Here is my attempt to explain the difference between these two technologies in the context of the construction market.
BIM is not a Digital Twin
BIM as a technology and then a work methodology has existed for decades. Architects, engineers and construction companies have long used building information modeling software in design and construction.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) – as a methodology, it is a solution that combines technologies, standards, processes and information management functions. A BIM model is the result of modeling in accordance with this methodology. Such a three-dimensional information model is a central point of reference throughout the entire project life cycle.
Note that we also create digital twins using other data capture techniques (e.g. laser scanning or photogrammetry). In a construction project where the Project Information Model (PIM) is already used, a ready-made rich source of data is already provided. After construction is completed, it is used to digitally record the building asset and naturally develops into the Operational Information Model (AIR). It is a component of the digital twin.
This enables visualization and management of building data and facilitates collaboration among all project stakeholders. Information is updated at key project stages. However, the BIM model itself remains largely a static representation or “snapshot in time” of the building.
A BIM model without enabling technologies cannot be designed for operations and maintenance over the life of the building, nor be designed to accommodate the massive amounts of IoT data generated live by a smart building.
A BIM model is a small subset of the Digital Twin. BIM provides an accurate digital record of assets and their location data and is an excellent starting point for a digital twin.
So what is a Digital Twin?
Digital Twin collects building data from various sources. Including physical (of which BIM is a part), systems and adds the missing aspects of management: people and processes. This gives us a complete digital picture of the building and the processes and interactions taking place in it.
Digital twins evolve throughout the life of a building, using machine learning and AI on operational data to identify usage patterns, identify where building or network performance is not meeting expectations, and begin to investigate why.
Source: “Graphical Representation of Digital Twin” (Roper, 2019) , own translation
In simple terms, Digital Twin is an incredibly powerful spatial data model (a database of a network model with a built-in relationship schema). It allows us to simulate future plans and possible scenarios. We can get an answer to the question “what if?”. We can perform this digital simulation on many different levels, including financial, general business strategy, or even organizational structure.
Because these simulations are performed in a virtual environment, unlike the risky real-world environment, costs decrease and benefits increase. Digital Twin enables rapid idea analysis, prototyping and verification of business decisions in an almost risk-free environment. Thus encouraging continuous business innovation and continuous feedback as input to the existing business strategy and its continuous updating.
Digital Twins and Society
Currently, many sensors are installed as “retrospective” equipment. Soon the model will be actively considered during the investment planning stages to check what IoT and sensors should be installed. This will enable the BIM model to evolve into a digital twin. In the future practice, Facility Manager will use both BIM models/data for reference purposes. Digital twins will also be used for predictive building maintenance systems.
What’s more, the scope of Digital Twins extends beyond a single object. Where BIM typically focuses on a single building, a digital twin can span multiple, interconnected buildings or communities. It simulates how things will look and interact in a huge range of different scenarios. This means they can be used to conduct much broader analysis and answer questions. For example, those related to societal solutions such as:
- “What is the opportunity to use renewable energy sources?”
- “What savings can be achieved by installing a district heating system?”
Digital twins are the framework for smart cities. Assets, buildings, and infrastructure can communicate not only with each other. But also with the interconnected web of places of work, travel, and life. In this vision, buildings become active elements in the energy landscape, both consuming and producing.
Summary of Digital Twin in Facility Management
Understanding the differences and limitations of these different technologies is key to realizing the transformative potential that each has.
The BIM process has become the standard way to collaborate on construction projects and generates critical digital information and data that FM needs to optimize and run day-to-day operations. However, BIM models and data are static in nature, while the goal of a digital twin is to provide a “dynamic” model.
Gartner has consistently listed Digital Twin among its “Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends” since 2017. It reports that digital twins will be implemented by 75% of IoT organizations due to their rapid growth in popularity. This market is expected to grow rapidly from $3.8 billion in 2019 to $35.8 billion by 2025.
Prepared on the basis of:
- Doctoral thesis “The evolution of facility management (FM) in the Building Information Modeling (BIM) process. An opportunity to use critical success factors (csf) for optimizing built assets” – Simon James Ashworth
- https://www.networkworld.com/article/3280225/what-is-digital-twin-technologyand-why-it-matters.html
- https://proptech.zone/bim-vs-smart-building-vs-digital-twin-what-is-the-difference/
- https://www2.deloitte.com/insights /us/en/focus/industry-4-0/digital-twin-technology-smart-factory.html
- https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartners-top-10-technology-trends-2017/
- https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/digital-twin-market-225269522.html
