Digital twin-enabled management for relocatable modular buildings
Hanyang University ERICA, South Korea, August 19, 2025
The researchers at Hanyang University ERICA’s School of Architecture & Architectural Engineering developed a digital twin-enabled facility management system (DT-FMS) for relocatable modular buildings (RMBs). The DT-FMS integrates BIM, IoT and GIS to create a live digital replica that supports real-time monitoring, logistics simulation, lifecycle performance analysis and reuse planning. A case study on a relocatable modular school in South Korea demonstrated improved module distribution, higher reuse potential, better management efficiency and potential reductions in operating costs and energy use. Organized into physical, digital and service layers, the platform enables data-driven decisions across design, transport, setup, operation and circular-economy reuse.
What: Researchers at a South Korean university have developed a digital twin-enabled facility management system designed specifically for relocatable modular buildings (RMBs). The system brings together three core technologies to give building owners and operators a single platform for monitoring, analysing and planning across the full life of a modular asset.
Who and when: The work was carried out by the School of Architecture & Architectural Engineering at Hanyang University ERICA and published in a recent issue of a peer-reviewed construction automation journal in early August 2025. The project team tested the approach on a relocatable modular school system in South Korea to demonstrate practical outcomes.
The new system, called a DT-FMS, links Building Information Modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into a single integrated digital twin. The combined model supports real-time monitoring, performance analysis and logistics simulations. In trial use with a modular school, the framework improved decisions on module distribution and reuse, boosting management efficiency and reducing operational costs and energy use.
The system is built as three management layers that separate responsibility while enabling tight coordination:
BIM provides robust 3D modelling and complete building data to represent the modules, connections and systems. IoT supplies live sensor feeds for environmental conditions, equipment status and location tracking. GIS adds geographic context that, when combined with BIM and IoT, enables effective logistics of modular units and location-based decision making. Together these components allow administrators to run logistics simulations and forecast outcomes before moving physical units.
In the relocatable school case study, the digital twin framework helped managers decide where to place modules, when to reconfigure them and how to plan relocations to maximise reuse. The team reports improved management efficiency, clearer logistics planning and potential reductions in operational cost and energy consumption. The research team also highlights the system as a tool for encouraging circular economy practices by making reuse and reconfiguration easier to plan and execute across repeated project cycles.
Details of the study were published in Volume 176 of a leading automation in construction journal on 1 August 2025. The study lays out the system architecture, the data flows between BIM, IoT and GIS, and the results from the modular school case study, including logistics simulation outcomes and efficiency metrics.
Separately, the same university is involved in a technology partnership with a global network test and assurance provider under a memorandum of understanding. That collaboration will provide wireless test solutions and expertise to the university’s Beyond-G Global Innovation Center, supporting research on AI-driven RAN, 5G and 6G. The centre was previously selected by national research authorities for long-term support, including a multi-year funding programme for next-generation communications research. The industry partner will supply test suites and a 6G testbed that mirror live network behaviour in the lab, allowing experimental network changes and validations prior to deployment.
RMBs are promoted as a sustainable construction method because they are built from prefabricated modules that can be quickly assembled and moved, reducing construction site impact and lowering costs. However, the model creates challenges in logistics, asset tracking and lifecycle management that have limited wider adoption. A digital twin approach directly addresses those challenges by providing a persistent, data-rich representation of each modular unit and its operating context, enabling better planning, safer moves and higher reuse rates.
The research team recommends further pilot projects across different building types and supply chains to refine data standards, interoperability and user interfaces. Widespread adoption will require alignment on BIM data structures, sensor suites and GIS practices so that module metadata and performance histories can be shared across owners, contractors and regulators.
A DT-FMS is a software and data framework that creates a synchronized digital copy of physical assets, using 3D models, live sensor data and location information to enable monitoring, analysis and decision making.
By combining BIM, IoT and GIS, the system provides real-time location and condition data for each module, supports logistics simulations and helps plan module reuse and relocation to reduce waste and costs.
The case study demonstrated improved module distribution decisions, greater reuse and better management efficiency, with resulting reductions in operational costs and energy use.
Implementing the system typically needs BIM models, IoT sensors for key metrics such as location and environmental conditions, and GIS tools to map module positions. The exact hardware set depends on the asset and use case.
Yes. The DT-FMS helps plan reuse and reconfiguration by tracking module histories and enabling location-based decisions that keep modules in productive use across multiple project cycles.
| Feature | Description | Primary benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated digital twin | Combined BIM, IoT and GIS model of modular assets | Unified view for monitoring and planning |
| Three-layer architecture | Physical, digital and service layers for clear responsibilities | Scalable management and better operator control |
| Real-time tracking | Live sensor and location feeds for modules and resources | Faster response, safer moves, better logistics |
| Logistics simulation | Predictive models for module moves and reuse scenarios | Lower operational costs and reduced downtime |
| Circular economy support | Module history and reconfiguration planning tools | Increased reuse and reduced construction waste |
| Research validation | Peer-reviewed publication and a practical school case study | Demonstrated real-world applicability |
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