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The development of prefabricated buildings and intelligent construction based on digital twins

Liangliang Wanga,b()Desong Tenga,bRuixin JincXinwei GuodXingyan MengaGuoyan LiudXiao LuodChangfei Suna,bZhuo Sud
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Wear Resistant Materials and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
College of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
China Railway First Bureau Group Electric Engineering Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710025, China
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Abstract

Digital twins are developing rapidly and involve smart manufacturing, aerospace, and other fields. The rise of prefabricated buildings has significantly influenced the construction industry. This paper conducts a literature review of prefabricated buildings and their intelligent development status utilizing resources from the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. The discussion focuses on digital twin technology (DT), exploring how digitization of building information and its translation into a virtual model ensure a smooth construction phase. The effects of prefabricated buildings on the exploitation and building life cycle of green buildings are analyzed after the digital twin capability is prohibited. This paper elucidates the utilization of DT in prefabricated buildings prior to the commencement of construction costs, steel structure lifting, seismic capacity, foundation pit excavation (FPE), the construction process, and other risk analyses and provides a suitable solution. The operation and maintenance management mode of the prefabricated building after construction is analyzed, and the optimization scheme is summarized. The current status of prefabricated building development, particularly in the context of DT for construction intelligence and risk intelligence, is concisely outlined. The core developments and future trends in the architectural realm for prefabricated buildings are synthesized, with the objective of providing a fundamental guide for the investigation of prefabricated buildings utilizing DT. This paper uses a methodological review to review the relevant literature to determine the specific application of DT in prefabricated buildings, including the establishment of virtual models, solid models, and embodiments of virtual–real interactions. This paper adopts the method of integrated review on the status quo of a certain research problem, such as prefabricated building prefabricated component production, risk analysis, operation and maintenance management, and intelligent development.

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Journal of Intelligent Construction
Article number: 9180080
Cite this article:
Wang L, Teng D, Jin R, et al. The development of prefabricated buildings and intelligent construction based on digital twins. Journal of Intelligent Construction, 2025, 3(1): 9180080. https://doi.org/10.26599/JIC.2025.9180080
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