# Seeking a Definition of Digital Twins for Construction and Infrastructure Management
## 4 Potential Benefits of DTs for Construction and Complex Infrastructure Management
### DT Case Studies  
The DT environment is apt for any kind of infrastructure. According to their management needs, the management systems must have enough flexibility to provide demanded tools. An example of a management system based on a DT is detailed in Figure 2. Bidebietaka-Basauri is a railway station on the Bilbao-Orduna network, located in the Basque Country of Spain [47]. Due to a remodelling project promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA), the research team developed a DT-based management system proposal for the infrastructure. In this regard, the management system developed was able to provide a complete management tool, linking technologies such as BIM, GIS, IoT, and cloud computing. Based on an online web platform, the system had a great level of accessibility, being accessible through any device. Thanks to the DT, the system, as detailed in Figure 2, can provide to the user a complete digital visualisation of each element of the infrastructure. Moreover, and thanks to the usage of external DBs, the relation between sensors and their representation in the DT has been achieved. With this high interoperability, the DT environment is able to provide to the users and infrastructure managers real time information of CO\({}_{2}\), occupancy, temperature, and humidity. Also, a complete record of previous incidents is implemented. Thanks to the digital representation of each element, the managers could easily attach incidents to that element, as well as being able to check element properties. For instance, it could consult the maintenance dates, subcontractor, materials, or supplier to call. Figure 3 shows the infrastructure to manage the Civil Engineering School of the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). The benefits and applications are similar to the Basauri management system previously detailed. However, the infrastructure needs are totally different. In this sense, not just real time data, incidents registrations, or 3D visualisation is provided. In this kind of infrastructure, spaces reservations and occupancy are also quite important. In this regard, the DT environment was of notable importance for the infrastructure managers under the COVID pandemic. As shown in Figure 3, thanks to the DT environment, each student was able to check their positions in images, and locate them with the DT representation, always maintaining the compulsory interpersonal distance [48]. Also, Origin-Destiny Matrices techniques were applied using the web platform and the DT, being able to detail the busiest internal routes for different time periods [48]. The aforementioned DT project, the Bidebieta-Basauri railway station, and the Civil Engineering school in Madrid are good examples of linking different technologies. IoT, BIM, cloud computing and our own software developments are tools implemented in both cases [48; 49; 50]. Research is the nature of both projects. Some limitations are the lack of AI or simulations protocols that are being researched and implemented currently. Nevertheless, both projects provide outstanding results on data interoperability under a DT environment. Figure 2: DT-based management system of the Bidebieta-Basauri railway station. DTs are also gaining importance in teaching environments. Thanks to virtual reality (VR), a DT provides an excellent teaching space for real demonstrations and simulations. In this regard, the research team has developed a metaverse concept where the students can be in a realistic representation of an infrastructure through the Meta Quest Pro 2 glasses. To achieve this, an internal program based on Unity was developed and implemented into the aforementioned glasses. The feedback of the students was excellent due to the great quantity of information they were able to reach thanks to the DT. Check main properties and see specific construction details were the main points related by the students. Seeing the overall context provided in this point, the main benefits of DTs are countless.