Cassandro, J; Mirarchi, C; Gholamzadehmir, M and Pavan, A (2025) Advancements and prospects in building information modeling (BIM) for construction: A review. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(9), pp. 6006-6026. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose - The paper clarifies research gaps and future directions in building information modeling (BIM) research by analyzing research trends and publication patterns. It aims to (1) systematically categorize the vast array of BIM literature into coherent main topics, (2) identify the most and least explored areas and (3) propose directions for future research based on identified research gaps. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) method to manage large datasets and uncover hidden patterns in academic journals and conference articles. To clarify the scholarly focus, the main topics in BIM research are categorized into three groups: (1) primary areas of focus, (2) moderately explored topics and (3) least investigated topics. Findings - The findings revealed 10 main topics (MTs) and 57 subtopics (STs), identifying key areas such as project design and management (20%), innovative construction technology (14%) and sustainable construction/life cycle management (14%). Conversely, it also highlighted underexplored areas like Facility/safety management and urban data development, suitable for future research. Research limitations/implications - While this work provides a structured overview of the BIM domain, it reveals opportunities for further exploring the complexity of the interrelation among interdisciplinary topics. Originality/value - The novelty of this study is its extensive scope, analyzing over fifteen thousand BIM articles from 2013 to 2023, which significantly expands the literature scale previously reviewed. This comprehensive approach maps BIM research trends and gaps and also shows the hierarchical trend line of publications in each main topic, setting a benchmark for future studies.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building information modeling; knowledge management; project management |
| Index terms: | future study, project management, construction technology, conference, building information modelling, project design, safety management, dataset, knowledge management, publication, complexity, methodology, journal, life cycle management, maps, sustainable construction |
| Subjects: | research design and methodology, value management, data management, occupational health and safety management, systems engineering, information systems, project management theory and practice, professional development, contractual arrangements, digital engineering, research dissemination and communication, spatial and geospatial analysis, research methods, sustainable construction |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Sustainability, Procurement, Digital Applications, Information Management, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here