Architecting a BIM-Based Digital Twin Platform for Airport Asset Management: A Model-Based System Engineering with SysML Approach

Airports play an essential role within the transportation and infrastructure sectors. As modernizing and expanding airport infrastructures receive a higher priority, addressing inefficiencies in capital expenditures (CapEx) and operational expenses (OpEx) through transformative digital ecosystems is gaining an increasing level of interest. Building information modeling (BIM) can form a basis to enable an end-to-end digital delivery platform, where airport life cycle data can be utilized for actionable insights. This study proposes a scalable, novel BIM-based modularized platform architecture based on model-based system engineering (MBSE) principles with systems modeling language (SysML) for optimal collection, integration, management, and utilization of airport critical asset data. This platform architecture aims at acting as a metaframework that enables an airport digital twin through cohesive and structured view of asset life cycle information for insightful actions by major airport stakeholders. Research methodology features an online survey and focus group discussions for data collection; mixed method analysis for data analysis; MBSE with SysML for data mapping; and prototype demonstration and an expert opinion survey for validation. Adopting a scalable BIM-based digital platform is anticipated to result in boosts in business value of airport infrastructures by sustaining value generation in operations and decreasing upfront costs for technology implementation.