Review Article

Digital Transformation in Construction: A Systematic Review of BIM, IoT, Robotics, and Automation in Industry 4.0

Abstract

The construction industry contributes approximately $10 trillion annually to global economic output yet remains one of the least digitized sectors worldwide, with labor productivity growth averaging only 1% per year over the past two decades compared with 3.6% in manufacturing. The sector also accounts for approximately 34% of global energy demand and 37% of energy and process-related carbon dioxide emissions, underscoring the environmental urgency of its transformation. The convergence of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and process automation under the Industry 4.0 paradigm, collectively termed Construction 4.0, offers a transformative pathway for addressing this chronic productivity and sustainability deficit. This paper presents a PRISMA-guided systematic review of peer-reviewed evidence on the adoption, integration, and impact of these four core digital technologies in construction. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) logic, 1,847 records were identified from Scopus andWeb of Science for publications from 2016 to 2024. After screening and eligibility assessment, 29 articles were included in the characteristics and findings tables. Key findings demonstrate that BIM functions as the foundational digital infrastructure for Construction 4.0, enabling lifecycle data integration; IoT enhances real-time site monitoring, worker safety, and equipment management; robotics deliver gains in productivity, precision, and hazard reduction; and process automation can reduce schedule overruns and material waste. Across technology domains, persistent barriers include high implementation costs, data interoperability deficits, workforce resistance, regulatory fragmentation, and insufficient standards. Critical research gaps exist in developing-country contexts, cross-technology integration frameworks, ethical dimensions of automation, and long-term lifecycle outcomes. 

Author Affiliation:

Akinyemi Fatade (ORCID)*: Construction Project Management with Building Information Modeling, Northumbria University Newcastle. 
Kamsy Ibuoka (ORCID): Department of Information Technology, Master of Information Technology. University of the Cumberlands. 
Oluwasegun Peter Akinfolahan (ORCID): Department of Wood Science and Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon. USA.
Oluwatimilehin Samuel Oyetunji (ORCID): Department of Material and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Raji Mustopha Adeniyi (ORCID): Department Mechanical Engineering, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.

How To Cite: A. Fatade, K. Ibuoka, O.P. Akinfolahan, O.S. Oyetunji and R.M. Adeniyi. Digital Transformation in Construction: A Systematic Review of BIM, IoT, Robotics, and Automation in Industry 4.0. Journal of Computers and Applications, 2(1):36–50, 2026. https://doi.org/10.58613/jca214