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This paper aims to investigate the theoretical and practical links between digital twin (DT) application in heritage facilities management (HFM) from a life cycle management perspective and to signpost the future development directions of DT in HFM.

This state-of-the-art review was conducted using a systematic literature review method. Inclusive and exclusive criteria were identified and used to retrieve relevant literature from renowned literature databases. Shortlisted publications were analysed using the VOSviewer software and then critically reviewed to reveal the status quo of research in the subject area.

The review results show that DT has been mainly adopted to support decision-making on conservation approach and method selection, performance monitoring and prediction, maintenance strategies design and development, and energy evaluation and management. Although many researchers attempted to develop DT models for part of a heritage building at component or system level and test the models using real-life cases, their works were constrained by availability of empirical data. Furthermore, data capture approaches, data acquisition methods and modelling with multi-source data are found to be the existing challenges of DT application in HFM.

In a broader sense, this study contributes to the field of engineering, construction and architectural management by providing an overview of how DT has been applied to support management activities throughout the building life cycle. For the HFM practice, a DT-cum-heritage building information modelling (HBIM) framework was developed to illustrate how DT can be integrated with HBIM to facilitate future DT application in HFM. The overall implication of this study is that it reveals the potential of heritage DT in facilitating HFM in the urban development context.

This study explores the significance and implementation priorities for Digital Product Passports (DPP) in the context of building renovation projects. It aims to reveal bottlenecks and how a data-driven workflow bridges the DPP understanding/implementation gap, facilitating the transition towards practices aligned with the EU Green Deal goals.

A mixed-methods embedded design was employed for a real-case study exploration. Desk research and field observations ground the two-level analysis combining project documentation, namely the Bill of Quantities (BoQ), with different criteria in digitalisation and sustainability, such as economic ratio, 3D modelling, waste management, hazards, energy performance and facility management. All results were interpreted from the DPP lens.

The analysis revealed a system for identifying building products representing a significant part of the renovation budget. About 11 priority DPPs were found. Some are crucial for both the deconstruction and construction phases, highlighting the need for an incremental and strategic approach to DPP implementation.

The study is limited to a single case study. Constraints are minimised given the sample's archetype representativeness. The outcomes introduce the need for strategic thinking for incremental DPP implementation. Future research will explore additional criteria and cases.

The research has resulted in a classification framework for DPPs' significance and priority, which is provided with case results. The outcome of the framework provides views on concept alignment to make the implementation in construction more straightforward. Its practical use can be replicated in other projects, emphasizing the importance of data structure and management for the circular economy.

Through its advanced computational capabilities, cyber–physical systems (CPS) proffer solutions to some of the cultural challenges plaguing the effective delivery of facilities management (FM) mandates. This study aims to explore the drivers for the uptake of CPS for FM functions using a qualitative approach – the Delphi technique.

Using the Delphi technique, the study selected experts through a well-defined process entailing a pre-determined set of criteria. The experts gave their opinions in two iterations which were subjected to statistical analyses such as the measure of central tendency and interquartile deviation in ascertaining consensus among the experts and the Mann–Whitney U test in establishing if there is a difference in the opinions given by the experts.

The study’s findings show that six of the identified drivers of the uptake of CPS for FM were attributed to be of very high significance, while 12 were of high significance. Furthermore, it was revealed that there is no significant statistical difference in the opinions given by experts in professional practice and academia.

The study’s outcome provides the requisite insight into the propelling measures for the uptake of CPS for FM by organisations and, by extension, aiding digital transformation for effective FM delivery.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, evidence from the literature suggests that no study has showcased the drivers of the incorporation of CPS for FM. Hence, this study fills this gap in knowledge by unravelling the significant propelling measures of the integration of CPS for FM functions.

The adoption of emerging technologies is critical to enhance construction industry performance. Previous studies have shown that the Nigerian construction industry (NCI) is slow to adopt digital technologies and faces performance issues. As a result, this study aims to investigate and model the barriers to adopting digital twin (DT) technology in the NCI with the view to provide stakeholders with adequate information on the multifaceted nature of DT barriers and provide strategies to improve DT adoption.

The study adopts a qualitative and quantitative approach to achieve the overall aim of the study. The qualitative approach included a scoping review used to identify barriers to DT adoption from the literature. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was administered to 246 construction professionals in the NCI. This was followed by critical analysis using mean ranking and standard deviation, Kruskal–Wallis, factor analysis and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

The exploratory factor analysis revealed four categories of barriers to DT adoption in the NCI: “technological and investment”, “data management and government”, “project and human resources” and “digital transformation”. The PLS-SEM results revealed the causal relationships of four barriers categories and their concomitant effects on DT adoption in the NCI. The top three barrier categories that require critical attention in order of significance are: technological and investment (ß = 0.655), data management and government (ß = 0.313) and project and human resources (ß = 0.194). Digital transformation (ß = −0.046) has the least significance. Overall, all the barriers’ categories were accepted at a significance level of p < 0.05.

The practical implications include guiding policymakers and practitioners in making informed decisions to address the identified barriers to DT adoption in the NCI. The findings may also be applicable to other developing countries in Africa and beyond. By implementing effective policies and stakeholder guidelines, the NCI can advance technologically and enhance its competitiveness to execute advanced construction projects.

This research contributes to the construction industry by shedding light on the barriers to DT adoption and their intricate interconnections within the NCI context. It is also the first study in NCI context to present the level of DT awareness and explore the concomitant effects of the barriers.

Despite the growing use of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies in construction, the reasons behind adopting social media in this context and its real benefits for sustainable construction and productivity remain unclear. This study aims to examine how construction professionals perceive the impact of social media on sustainable construction and productivity in the industry.

This research used a mixed-methods research approach (qualitative and quantitative), resulting in the formulation of a well-structured questionnaire which was distributed to construction professionals. Ordinal regression and multinomial logistic regression were carried out to assess the impact of social media use on sustainable construction and productivity enhancement, as well as the extent of social media utilization in construction projects.

Through exploratory factor analysis, five distinct clusters of social media consequences were identified, namely: information and knowledge sharing, community engagement and morale, environmental and resource management, disruptive and stressful effects and communication and collaboration. Furthermore, the extent of social media usage is closely related to three key factors: community engagement and morale, environmental and resource management and communication and collaboration.

This study represents one of the pioneering research efforts in Nigeria to investigate the implications of social media usage in the construction industry. Thus, future studies can build upon this research to further contribute to the multifaceted dimensions of social media’s impact on the construction industry.

The dynamic nature of the built environment and trending smart construction project complexities demand proactive needs tailored towards architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) education. It is a task for the built environment professionals (BEP) to prepare for the future, including the quantity surveying (QS) profession. Studies are scarce in preparing QS education from Nigeria’s stakeholders’ perspective regarding digital technology. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate how to improve QS education by continually updating curriculum digitalisation to meet the construction industry requirements.

Data were sourced from elite virtual interviews across Nigeria. A total of 40 key stakeholders knowledgeable in QS education, advocating a future template for the advancement of QS education in higher institutions, were engaged, and saturation was achieved.

Findings show that improving QS education through continually updating curriculum digitalisation to meet industry requirements cannot be over-emphasised in the 21st-century-built environment industry. The outcomes of the results led to the conclusion that the current QS education curriculum was not meeting the expectations of other BEP stakeholders. Thus, for competitiveness in the future, the QS education curriculum needs to infuse more related-digital technology modules/courses to assist in the sustainability and relevance of the profession within the BEP.

This paper focussed on improving Nigeria’s QS education using digital technologies via a qualitative approach. Future study is needed via a quantitative approach for broader coverage and validation.

The research revealed the need for designing QS programmes to provide for industry demands with emphasis on digital technologies modules/courses. Nigeria’s QS education stakeholders have been stirred up to embrace the curriculum review and make the profession digitalised and relevant within the BEP. The built environment sector is trending towards digitalisation, and the QS programmes cannot afford to be behind.

This research identified the current gap regarding digitalisation of the curriculum. This study will stir QS educational providers and regulators to improve future programmes via digital technologies. It would encourage the use of digital technologies with the right enabling environment. The outcome would mitigate the gap and improve Nigeria’s QS education in the future.

The evolution of digital construction within Industrial Revolution 5.0 emphasises the harmonious integration of humans and technology, value-driven technology implementation, adaptive leadership and user-centric design solutions. This shift necessitates architects to enhance their soft skills to navigate the transition effectively. Failure to demonstrate these skills may confine architects to passive roles as technology consumers rather than innovative leaders. While existing research predominantly focuses on the technical aspects of digital construction, this study investigates how architects effectively manifest their soft skills within such dynamic contexts, addressing a critical gap in the current literature.

Employing an interpretive phenomenological approach, the research engaged 14 individual architects practicing in architectural consultancy practices (ACPs) in Malaysia through semi-structured interviews and written exercises to unveil their experiences.

Thematic analysis revealed six primary themes: “analytical and critical thinking,” “digital communication,” “diversity in leadership styles,” “emotional intelligence,” “ethics and professionalism,” and “curiosity and agility.”

Furthermore, the developed thematic map serves as a foundational resource for human resource practices aiming to design upskilling and reskilling programs that focus on nurturing soft skills. Emphasising soft skills, these programs are designed to thrive in the digital construction era and beyond.

These shared experiences significantly contribute to the theoretical understanding of soft skills within the digital construction context, providing novel insights into their practical application when addressing real-world implications.

Studies show that building information modelling (BIM) technology can improve construction productivity regarding the design, construction and maintenance of a project life cycle in the 21st century. Revit has been identified as a frequently used tool for delivering BIM in the built environment. Studies about BIM technology via Revit are scarce in training middle-level workforce higher education institutions. Thus, this study aims to investigate the relevance of BIM technology and offer measures to promote digitalisation in Nigeria’s built environment polytechnic undergraduates via Revit.

Given the unexplored nature of training the middle-level workforce in Nigeria, 37 semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted across Nigeria, and saturation was achieved. The participants were knowledgeable about construction-related BIM. The researchers used a thematic analysis for the collected data and honed them with secondary sources.

Improved visualisation of design, effective and efficient work productivity, automatic design and quantification, improved database management and collaboration and data storage in the centrally coordinated model, among others, emerged as BIM’s benefits. BIM technology via Revit is challenging, especially in Nigeria’s polytechnic education curriculum. The 24 perceived issues were grouped into government/regulatory agencies-related, polytechnic management-related and polytechnic undergraduate students-related hindrances in Nigeria’s built environment.

This study is limited to BIM implications for Nigeria’s built environment polytechnic undergraduates.

This study contributes to the literature paucity in attempting to uncover perceived issues hindering the implementation of BIM technology via Revit in training Nigeria’s built environment polytechnic undergraduates via a qualitative approach.

As the Philippines enters into the era of the “next normal,” that is, from the pandemic era called the “new normal,” we look into how the Philippines' state of tourism and built environment sectors. We also revisit its situation having the “longest lockdown in the world” and look into iterations of socioeconomic models, business platforms, and other elements that lead to the dream of a postpandemic sustainable tourism industry. In this inquiry, we highlight the importance of elements of the built environment, both at the macroeconomic level and at the micro units of business, civil society, and the tourism sector at large. While there has been a substantive discussion on the nexus of the tourism and built environment sectors, little has been devoted to the challenges these intertwined sectors faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We suggest complementation of practices from the macroscale to the microlevel tourism and built environment sectors, and vice-versa, which will ensure the full complementation of the sectors. These proposals are in full contextualization of the objective toward the postpandemic continued recovery, growth, and sustainability, from the local, national, and the regional economy of Southeast Asia, and also to various parts of the world.

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the transition from Building Information Modelling (BIM) to digital twins (DT) in the construction industry. Specifically, the research explores the current state (themes and trends) and future directions of this emerging research domain.

A multi-stage approach was employed that combines scientometric and systematic review approaches. The scientometric analysis involves quantitative assessment of scientific publications retrieved from the Web of Science database – using software tools like VOSviewer and HistCite. The systematic review involved a rigorous synthesis and evaluation of the existing literature to identify research gaps, themes, clusters and future directions. Clusters obtained from the scientometric analysis of the co-occurrence network were then used as a subject base for a systematic study.

Emergent findings reveal a rapidly growing interest in BIM-DT integration, with over 90% of publications since 2020. The United Kingdom, China and Italy are the leading contributing countries. Five prominent research clusters identified are: (1) Construction 4.0 technologies; (2) smart cities and urban environments; (3) heritage BIM and laser scanning; (4) asset and facility management; and (5) energy and sustainability. The study highlights the potential of BIM-DT integration for enhancing project delivery, asset management and sustainability practices in the built environment. Moreover, the project’s life cycle operation phase has garnered the most attention from researchers in this field compared to other phases.

This unique study is comprehensive in its approach by combining scientometric and systematic methods to provide a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the BIM-DT research landscape. Unlike previous reviews that focused solely on facility management, this study’s scope covers the entire construction sector. By identifying research gaps, challenges and future directions, this study establishes a solid foundation for researchers exploring this emerging field and envisions the future landscape of BIM-DT integration in the built environment.