Smart Construction Management by Harnessing Digital Transformation and Automation
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 41
Special Issue Editors
Interests: construction management; maintenance planning; schedule optimization; infrastructure resilience; structural health monitoring; steel bridges; fatigue assessment; damage identification; structure rehabilitation and strengthening
Interests: construction industrialization; advanced manufacturing management; dynamic tower crane scheduling; automatic heuristic generation; prefabricated construction; supply chain management
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The construction industry is undergoing a profound technological revolution. Traditional workflows are being reshaped by the convergence of digital tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and artificial intelligence, with advanced automation solutions including robotic fabrication, autonomous machinery, and drone surveying. These innovations promise to enhance productivity, reduce costs, improve safety, and foster sustainability across the project life cycle. Yet, the full potential of digital transformation and automation in construction management has to be realized, and best practices are still evolving.
This Special Issue seeks to gather cutting-edge research, case studies, and review articles that spotlight recent advances in digital and automated approaches to construction management. We invite contributions that rigorously evaluate technological interventions, propose novel frameworks for integration, and demonstrate measurable benefits in real-world projects. Both multidisciplinary studies and domain-specific investigations are welcome, whether they focus on the planning, execution, monitoring, or maintenance phases of construction.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Digital Project Planning and Design: Advanced BIM workflows, generative design, and digital twin creation.
- Automated Construction Processes: Robotics for on-site assembly, 3D printing of structures, and prefabrication strategies.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: AI-driven scheduling and resource optimization, and predictive analytics for risk management.
- IoT and Sensor Integration: Real-time site monitoring, structural health sensing, and smart equipment management.
- Autonomous Machinery and Drones: Self-navigating vehicles, aerial inspection, and construction progress tracking via UAVs.
- Augmented and Virtual Reality: AR/VR for safety training, remote collaboration, and immersive design reviews.
- Blockchain and Digital Ledger Technologies: Secure supply chain management, smart contracts, and payment automation.
- Cyber-Physical Systems and Digital Twins: Virtual replicas for lifecycle management and facility operation.
- Human-Technology Interaction: Workforce adaptation, skill requirements, and human–robot collaboration.
- Sustainability and Resilience: Digital tools for reducing waste, optimizing energy use, and enhancing climate adaptation.
We warmly encourage both original research and comprehensive review papers that deliver fresh insights or evidence-based evaluations. By collecting these contributions, this Special Issue aims to accelerate the industry’s progression toward fully integrated, intelligent, and automated construction management.
Dr. Shunyao Cai
Prof. Dr. Jing Yin
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 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
- digital construction management
- Building Information Modeling (BIM)
- construction automation
- IoT sensors
- artificial intelligence in construction
- digital twin technology
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