Futuristic Construction Management with Decentralization and Digital Twins

The construction industry is undergoing a rapid digital transformation driven by advances in data-driven technologies and intelligent systems. Traditional construction management practices are increasingly being augmented by digital tools that improve transparency, efficiency, and decision-making across the project lifecycle. Among these technologies, Digital Twins have emerged as a powerful paradigm for creating real-time digital representations of physical assets, enabling monitoring, simulation, and predictive analysis of construction processes. At the same time, decentralization technologies such as blockchain and distributed ledger systems are introducing new mechanisms for secure data sharing, trust management, and automated contractual processes. The integration of Digital Twins with decentralized infrastructures offers a promising direction for future construction management by enabling reliable data exchange, enhanced collaboration among stakeholders, and improved project governance. This convergence has the potential to transform how construction projects are designed, executed, and managed in increasingly complex and data-centric environments.The construction industry faces persistent challenges related to fragmented information systems, limited transparency among stakeholders, inefficient project coordination, and difficulties in monitoring project performance in real time. As construction projects become increasingly complex and data-intensive, traditional management approaches struggle to provide reliable, secure, and integrated mechanisms for decision-making and collaboration. This Research Topic aims to address these challenges by exploring the integration of Digital Twin technology and decentralized systems such as blockchain and distributed ledger technologies in construction management. Recent advances in real-time sensing, Internet of Things (IoT), Building Information Modeling (BIM), and cloud computing have enabled the development of dynamic Digital Twins capable of monitoring and simulating construction processes throughout the project lifecycle. At the same time, decentralized technologies provide secure, transparent, and tamper-resistant platforms for data sharing, contract management, and stakeholder coordination. By bringing these technologies together, this Research Topic seeks to promote innovative frameworks, models, and applications that enhance transparency, automate workflows through smart contracts, improve risk management, and enable data-driven decision-making for more efficient, sustainable, and resilient construction project management.This Research Topic focuses on innovative approaches that integrate Digital Twin technologies and decentralized systems to improve construction management practices. The scope includes research addressing the development, implementation, and evaluation of digital twin models, blockchain-based infrastructures, and data-driven decision-support systems in construction projects. Contributions may explore themes such as blockchain-enabled project management, decentralized BIM collaboration, smart contracts for automated compliance and payments, real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance using digital twins, data governance and ownership in construction ecosystems, and sustainability assessment through digital twin simulations. Research addressing decentralized quality assurance, digital twin lifecycle management, and emerging technologies such as robotics and 3D printing in digitally enabled construction environments is also encouraged. The Research Topic welcomes original research articles, review papers, case studies, and technical or methodological contributions that present novel insights, frameworks, and practical applications relevant to digital and decentralized construction management. Topic editors: Rahul Saha, Gulshan Kumar Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79486/futuristic-construction-management-with-decentralization-and-digital-twins