A Systematic Review of the Digital Transformation of the Building Construction Industry

Abstract

Construction sector spending makes a significant contribution to the global economy, with approximately $10 trillion being spent on building and construction activities annually. However, the construction industry has traditionally been perceived as slow to adapt to new technologies compared to other sectors. Recently, the construction industry has experienced a substantial shift towards Digital Transformation. As new technologies have emerged, the construction industry has begun to realize the importance of Digital Transformation in the pre-construction, construction, and facility management phases. A high degree of Digital Transformation has been seen regarding site monitoring, wearables, sensors, and identifying hazards. This paper intends to sketch a global picture of digital technologies implemented in the construction industry throughout the entire project lifecycle. By fully analyzing more than 200 papers, the paper finds that various aspects of the construction industry, including technologies, policies, regulations, and infrastructures, are still in the early stages of Digital Transformation. The findings from this review will help researchers and practitioners in the construction industry understand the global picture of digital technology implementation and where the construction industry stands in the Digital Transformation process. This paper also serves as a starting point for future work on Digital Transformation in the construction industry. The research paper is limited to vertical aspects in building projects and does not include horizontal integration. Finally, this study will give a guideline with successful examples of which technologies are being used in specific phases, so future researchers can get a holistic view of the use of digital technology in the entire building environment.