Advancing Construction and Design Practices Using BIM

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 314

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: BIM modeling; digital tools; scan-to-BIM; parametrric design; CADX; digital representation

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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: BIM modeling; reverse engineering; BIM workflows; data sharing; algorithmic modeling; performance integration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Building information modeling technology has a great influence on the building and construction and project management industries, enabling highly sophisticated design, planning, and execution. This Special Issue will bring together state-of-the-art developments in BIM related to its applications in improving collaboration and monitoring, reducing project risks, and enhancing cost and time efficiency in construction design. Subtopics include but are not limited to the following: BIM-integrated project scheduling, real-time data sharing, reverse engineering, sustainability assessment, AI applications and automation in parametric modeling. The articles will highlight a set of innovative case studies, emerging tools, methodologies and strategies that can help overcome interoperability challenges and stakeholder adoption.

This Special Issue intends to show in detail how BIM is changing traditional practices to smarter and more sustainable construction by presenting interdisciplinary research and practical insights. It is an indispensable tool for the practitioners, researchers and policy makers who are committed to harnessing technology in shaping the future of project design and construction management.

Prof. Dr. Pierpaolo D'Agostino
Guest Editor

Erika Elefante
Guest Editor Assistant

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Keywords

  • construction management
  • physical–digital interaction
  • digital twins
  • BIM integration
  • data sharing
  • sustainability in digital modeling
  • automation in parametric design
  • reverse engineering
  • AI application in BIM workflows
  • smart construction

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 5613 KiB  
Article
Generative Design-Driven Optimization for Effective Concrete Structural Systems
by Hossam Wefki, Mona Salah, Emad Elbeltagi and Majed Alinizzi
Buildings 2025, 15(15), 2646; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15152646 (registering DOI) - 27 Jul 2025
Abstract
The process of designing reinforced concrete (RC) buildings has traditionally relied on manually evaluating a limited number of layout alternatives—a time-intensive process that may not always yield the most functionally efficient solution. This research introduces a parametric algorithmic model for the automated optimization [...] Read more.
The process of designing reinforced concrete (RC) buildings has traditionally relied on manually evaluating a limited number of layout alternatives—a time-intensive process that may not always yield the most functionally efficient solution. This research introduces a parametric algorithmic model for the automated optimization of RC buildings with solid slab systems. The model automates and optimizes the layout process, yielding measurable improvements in spatial efficiency while maintaining compliance with structural performance criteria. Unlike prior models that address structural or architectural parameters separately, the proposed framework integrates both domains through a unified generative design approach within a BIM environment, enabling automated evaluation of structurally viable and architecturally coherent slab layouts. Developed within the parametric visual programming environment in Dynamo for Revit, the model employs a generative design (GD) engine to explore and refine various design alternatives while adhering to structural constraints. By leveraging a BIM-based framework, this method enhances efficiency, optimizes resource utilization, and systematically balances structural and architectural requirements. The model was validated through three case studies, demonstrating cost reductions between 2.7% and 17%, with material savings of up to 13.38% in concrete and 20.87% in reinforcement, achieved within computational times ranging from 120 to 930 s. Despite the current development being limited to vertical load scenarios and being most suitable for regular slab-based configurations, the results demonstrated the model’s effectiveness in optimizing grid dimensions and reducing material quantities and costs, and highlighted its ability to streamline early-stage design processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Construction and Design Practices Using BIM)
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