Achieving Sustainable Construction Through Building Information Modeling over Complete Life Cycle of Projects in the Construction Industry – A Literature Review

Abstract

The paper aims to review and reflect how the key sustainability aspects are achieved through BIM in AECO industries. With the advancement of technologies and standardization in the architecture, engineering, construction and operation (AECO) industries, the concept of sustainable development is getting increased momentum than ever before. In addition, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has also started to embrace the sustainable development aspects: social, economic and environmental. Most of the practices in BIM-enabled projects have considered the environmental aspect of sustainable development, while others aspects, such as social and economic have received limited attention. In order to achieve a balanced sustainable performance, the impact of BIM on all the aspects of sustainable development have to be categorically considered. It is therefore interesting to review and reflect how the key sustainability aspects are achieved through BIM in the AECO industries. Recent publications on BIM and sustainable development were retrieved and analyzed. The information was then categorized into three sustainable development aspects: social, economic and environmental and their inter-related sub-themes. In the review, various uses of BIM supporting the sustainability aspects both in research and practice were identified. This renders useful insights for future development of BIM uses for achieving greater sustainability benefits in all aspects of sustainable development.