2026, Vol. 13, No. 1. - go to content...

Permanent address of this page - https://t-s.today/en/24sats126.html

Метаданные этой статьи так же доступны на русском языке

DOI: 10.15862/24SATS126 (https://doi.org/10.15862/24SATS126)

Full article in PDF format (file size: 684.1 KB)

For citation:

Zuev M.V., Zainagabdinov D.A. The evolution of digital twin technologies and their implementation in the road industry. Russian Journal of Transport Engineering. 2026; 13(1). Available at: https://t-s.today/PDF/24SATS126.pdf (in Russian). DOI: 10.15862/24SATS126

The evolution of digital twin technologies and their implementation in the road industry

Zuev Mikhail Vladimirovich
Irkutsk State Transport University, Irkutsk, Russia
E-mail: mikhail.zuev.00@list.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3174-6659
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=1260317

Zainagabdinov Damir Alfridovich
Irkutsk State Transport University, Irkutsk, Russia
E-mail: damirmt@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6335-3442
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=520144

Abstract. At the moment, digital twin technology, being a complex high-tech system from several fields of industry, is actively developing and being implemented in various fields of production, including road infrastructure. The purpose of this review is to analyze the evolution of the concept of digital twins, their classification and application features in various fields, especially highlighting its use in the road industry, as well as to assess the prospects and limitations of its introduction into operation.

The article traces the path of technology from the initial concept to a large-scale high-tech sphere: the key stages of development, as well as the factors that influenced its current state, are considered. Several classifications of digital twins are presented — according to the degree of integration with physical objects, by functional purpose and by the level of detail.

The article focuses on practical examples of the use of technology: in particular, its application in railway transport and bridge structures. It is shown that digital twins allow automated and autonomous collection, processing and analysis of large amounts of information in real time.

The advantages of digital twins are analyzed: increasing the accuracy of forecasting, optimizing the operation and maintenance of facilities, and reducing costs in the long term. At the same time, significant disadvantages were also noted — the high cost of implementation, the complexity of integration with existing systems, the need for qualified personnel and large amounts of reliable data.

It is concluded that, despite the difficulties of implementation, digital twin technology has significant potential to improve the efficiency of road facilities and deserves further development and adaptation in the industry.

Keywords: digital twin; information modeling; digitalization; monitoring; modeling; transport infrastructure; bridge structures

Download article in PDF format