Published Papers

Volume 32 - Issue 3 (Theme Issue)
Theme Issue Papers

Digitalisation in action: creating the future from BIM to a Digital Twin for enhanced building operation and maintenance

Steve H Y Chan, Oskar K K Cheung, Francis P H Yuen, Allison Y M Law, Beverly Y Y Ching, Leo H K Yeung, and Ivan W S Lo
Pages: 1-10Published: 01 Apr 2026
DOI: 10.33430/V32N3THIE-2024-0063
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CHAN HY, CHEUNG KK, YUEN PH, LAW YM, CHING YY, YEUNG HK, and LO WS, Digitalisation in action: creating the future from BIM to a Digital Twin for enhanced building operation and maintenance, HKIE Transactions, Vol. 32, No. 3 (Theme Issue), Article THIE-2024-0063.R1, 2026, 10.33430/V32N3THIE-2024-0063

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Abstract:

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) is advancing its digital transformation from Building Information Modelling (BIM) to BIM-Asset Management (BIM-AM) to create a Digital Twin for building Operation and Maintenance (O&M). Since 2015, the organisation has been developing and customising its BIM-AM System for enhancing its O&M. In 2019, it launched the Government-Wide IoT Network (GWIN), dedicated IoT infrastructure for near real-time monitoring of Electrical and Mechanical (E&M) assets. To streamline O&M workflows, the organisation has also explored technologies like the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) and smart glasses, utilising Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). Since 2020, the organisation has initiated a government-wide asset digitalisation exercise, covering over 450 government venues to support smart building initiatives. Additionally, the organisation has aimed to establish the first on-premises Common Data Environment (CDE) compliant with ISO 19650 for the Government of the HKSAR, alongside the development of an Asset Information Management Platform (AIMP) and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to facilitate BIM-AM adoption. This paper will discuss the integration of these technologies in creating a Digital Twin for effective building O&M.

Keywords:

Building Information Modelling, Asset Management, BIM-AM, Digitalisation, Digital Twin, Internet of Things, Common Data Environment

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