Navigating BIM technological innovations for megaprojects: Insights from the toce framework

In the context of digital transformation, building information modeling technological innovation (BIM-TI) has emerged as a critical element in enhancing design integration, data analysis, and intelligent construction processes. While technologies such as digital twins, big data, and the internet of things have evolved alongside BIM, BIM-TI refers to the innovation of BIM within the broader context of digital transformation. Although previous research focused on isolated influencing factors or general adoption frameworks, a lack of clarity remained regarding the key drivers and their interaction, especially in megaprojects. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing BIM-TI in megaprojects and to identify the configurations. The objective was to establish a comprehensive framework for understanding the mechanisms driving BIM-TI. To address this knowledge gap, the technological conditions, organizational capabilities, construction scenarios, environmental pressures (TOCE) framework was developed by introducing construction scenarios as a fourth dimension, as an extension of the traditional technology-organization-environment (TOE) model. It reflects the practical contexts in which BIM has been applied, including collaborative design, intelligent manufacturing, intelligent site, intelligent operation, and green construction. This study explored the influencing and configurational paths of BIM-TI using structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The findings indicated that technological conditions, organizational capabilities, construction scenarios, and environmental pressures were key drivers of BIM-TI, with environmental pressures playing a moderating role. Four distinct configurational paths were identified, highlighting the core role of environmental pressures and their synergistic effects with either technological conditions or organizational capabilities. This study enriches the theoretical foundation by extending the TOE model to the TOCE framework and provides a novel configuration for BIM-TI mechanisms in megaprojects. These insights offered practical guidance for project managers and engineers, industry leaders and technology providers, and policymakers to foster BIM-TI.