Sustainable and Digital Construction Supply Chains

Dear Colleagues,

The construction industry is undergoing a paradigm shift—from fragmented, project-centric delivery models to integrated, platform-based ecosystems that prioritize sustainability, digitalization, and operational excellence. This Special Issue, “Sustainable and Digital Construction Supply Chains”, brings together interdisciplinary research and practice to explore how modern technologies and systems thinking are transforming how we plan, build, and manage the built environment.

We invite high-quality contributions addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:

Platform Thinking and Construction Value Chains

Transitioning from isolated project delivery to platform-based models that enable standardization, modularization, and scalability across construction supply chains.

Project Management and Resource Allocation

New approaches for optimizing time, cost, materials, and labor through digital tools, integrated planning environments, and collaborative contracting models. Emphasis is placed on lifecycle thinking, performance-based procurement, and lean management in complex projects.

Digital Transformation in Construction

The role of Building Information Modeling (BIM), Digital Engineering, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Twins in improving traceability, coordination, automation, and data-driven decision-making across the supply chain.

Sustainable Construction Supply Chains

Enhancing environmental, social, and economic performance through decarbonization strategies, circular supply chain models, ESG-compliant reporting, and low-carbon material logistics.

Platform-Based Construction and Prefabrication

Case studies and frameworks demonstrating the application of platform approaches, including design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA), kit-of-parts systems, and industrialized construction processes.

Governance, Policy, and Education

The role of regulatory frameworks (e.g., ISO 19650, AS 7739.2), academic curricula, and stakeholder collaboration in enabling systemic change.

This Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of how emerging practices and technologies are reshaping the construction industry's supply chains—making them more sustainable, resilient, and digitally integrated. It aims to inform industry, academia, and policymakers on the future of construction as a service-oriented, platform-driven domain.

Dr. Amer A. Hijazi
Prof. Dr. Ghassan Aouad
Dr. Xiaohua Jin
Dr. Yingbin Feng
Dr. Duncan Maxwell
Dr. Ali Al-Ashwal
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.