Towards Future BIM Technology Innovations: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Literature

Abstract

The evolution of the construction industry is associated with the continuous implementation of new technologies. Building Information Modelling (BIM) has revolutionised the collaboration and data sharing processes in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. However, it needs to be supported by new technologies that can embrace digital construction by transforming the construction industry into a dynamic environment. There is a lack of understanding of the cutting-edge technologies that have emerged to help with the digital transformation of the construction industry. There is a need to understand all these technologies and how they can be leveraged holistically towards future BIM innovations. Therefore, this article conducts a literature review to evaluate how targeted cutting-edge technologies can be utilised to release the full potential of BIM from a technical perspective. A bibliometric analysis focusing on the co-occurrence of keywords related to various technologies, their links with BIM, and their related research themes was conducted based on the Web of Science (WoS) database holdings from 2010 to 2019. The findings demonstrate that one type of technology can help with solving a specific issue. However, using one technology alone does not solve an issue entirely. The current technology has been utilised independently and not as a coherent system. Thus, a weak information integration and management approach can restrict the leveraging of a smart BIM environment. This paper is not meant to be exclusive. Many new technologies, concepts, and ideas can be added to help realise BIM potentials that are not covered in this study. Furthermore, the analysis was based on the dataset retrieved from WoS and only included the literature in English. Based on those findings, the authors indicated a technology fusion to support BIM development.