Digital Transformation in African Heritage Preservation: A Digital Twin Framework for a Sustainable Bab Al-Mansour in Meknes City, Morocco

Highlights What are the main findings? - The study develops a Digital Twin Heritage Building (DTHB) framework based on digital transformation, integrating HBIM, IoT sensors, and predictive analytics to address structural and environmental challenges. - The DTHB framework enables real-time monitoring, scenario simulations, and predictive maintenance, offering a replicable model for African heritage sites. What is the implication of the main finding? - The research demonstrates how digital transformation addresses Africa's unique heritage preservation challenges through scalable and sustainable solutions. - By preserving cultural landmarks like Bab Al-Mansour, the study enhances sustainable development, cultural identity, and tourism across the African continent.Highlights What are the main findings? - The study develops a Digital Twin Heritage Building (DTHB) framework based on digital transformation, integrating HBIM, IoT sensors, and predictive analytics to address structural and environmental challenges. - The DTHB framework enables real-time monitoring, scenario simulations, and predictive maintenance, offering a replicable model for African heritage sites. What is the implication of the main finding? - The research demonstrates how digital transformation addresses Africa's unique heritage preservation challenges through scalable and sustainable solutions. - By preserving cultural landmarks like Bab Al-Mansour, the study enhances sustainable development, cultural identity, and tourism across the African continent.Abstract The advent of digital transformation has redefined the preservation of cultural heritage and historic sites through the integration of Digital Twin technology. Initially developed for industrial applications, Digital Twins are now increasingly employed in heritage conservation as dynamic, digital replicas of physical assets and environments. These systems enable detailed, interactive approaches to documentation, management, and preservation. This paper presents a detailed framework for implementing Digital Twin technology in the management of heritage buildings. By utilizing advanced methods for data collection, processing, and analysis, the framework creates a robust data hub for Digital Twin Heritage Buildings (DTHB). This architecture enhances real-time monitoring, improves accuracy, reduces operational costs, and enables predictive maintenance while minimizing invasive inspections. Focusing on Bab Al-Mansour Gate in Meknes, Morocco, a significant cultural landmark, this research outlines the workflow for developing a Bab Al-Mansour DTHB platform. The platform monitors structural health and detects damage over time, offering a dynamic tool for conservation planning. By integrating innovative technologies with data-driven solutions, this study provides a replicable model for preserving heritage sites, addressing critical gaps in real-time monitoring, resource optimization, and environmental risk mitigation.