34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) - Singapore, Singapore - 2026

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0208

Digital twins as a catalyst for sustainable construction transport policies? A critical review

Müge Tetik1, Nicolas Brusselaers2 & Ergo Pikas3

1Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Civil Engineering, School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, Lahti, Finland, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-4013-0577
2Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Business Technology and Operations, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, Mobilise Research Group & House of Sustainable Transitions (HOST), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium, orcid.org/0000-0003-4572-4080
3Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, School of Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia, orcid.org/0000-0001-5691-685X

Abstract

The construction industry plays a critical role in shaping urban freight systems while contributing to environmental impacts through material transport and on-site activities. These activities exacerbate congestion, noise and air pollution, particularly due to inefficient planning and limited coordination of material flows. As Europe advances toward climate-neutral urban freight targets, the sector faces a major challenge: absence of integrated systems planning to support sustainable transport policies. Despite isolated examples of logistics control such as cross-site material consolidation, there remains a lack of scalable and data-driven approaches to manage construction logistics sustainably. This study critically reviews how digital twins (DT) can act as catalysts for zero-emission construction logistics planning. Drawing on an analysis of literature, EU policies and expert interviews, it identifies key gaps in current practices. The results translate into DT requirements for measurable, coordinated and policy-relevant construction transport planning capable of supporting life cycle emissions accounting based on logistics and on-site activity. By synthesizing knowledge across construction, logistics, digitalization and sustainability domains, this study proposes a strategic framework showing how DTs act as a catalyst for sustainable construction transport and informing policy innovation.

Keywords

Digital twin, governance, sustainability, construction transport, policy innovation.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Tetik, M., Brusselaers, N. & Pikas, E.. (2026). Digital twins as a catalyst for sustainable construction transport policies? A critical review. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 495–506). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0208

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Tetik, M., Brusselaers, N. & Pikas, E.. (2026). Digital twins as a catalyst for sustainable construction transport policies? A critical review. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0208

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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