Unravelling Barriers to Digitalisation: Building Materials Data Flow and Circular Economy Utilising BIM

Abstract

The digitalisation progress in the building industry has been increasing continuously over time and the environmental impacts have been raised in the discussions as well. The construction industry is the biggest consumer of the raw material worldwide but only 1% of the deconstructed materials are being reused now. Sustainability has become a prominent topic of discussion, particularly within this industry. Our study emphasises the significance and utilisation of digital tools in the construction industry concerning the circular economy and enabling the reusability of materials. Furthermore, we are endeavouring to identify the barriers hindering the promotion of a circular economy for building materials.

We interviewed 13 experts from both, industry and academia, to address our research question regarding the barriers to achieving a circular economy in this sector through the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). The study adopts a qualitative approach, employing interviews and a deductive method that draws upon socio-technical theory and existing literature to identify these barriers. Additionally, a thematic approach is utilised to uncover previously unexplored patterns.

The contribution of this study lies in the development of an extended framework comprising eight key concepts, such as Structure, People (Actors), Task, Technology, Data Management, Collaboration, Business Model, and Ownership, that featured prominently throughout the research. Our findings indicate the importance of future investigations focusing on unified standardisation and further research into Building Information Modeling as a pivotal concept within the field.