Purpose This research examines the human factors that influence construction professionals' engagement and motivation to participate in BIM-based continuing professional development (CPD). As digitalization reshapes architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) practices, understanding participation in CPD is essential for supporting industry-wide competence development. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative multi-method design combined participatory workshops with an open-ended survey. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings Engagement and motivation were shaped by interconnected pedagogical, organizational and individual factors. Collaboration, interdisciplinary interaction and authentic practice-centered learning supported engagement, while flexible and modular delivery formats aligned with professionals' need for autonomy. Diverse digital and BIM-related backgrounds shaped participants' learning needs and preferences for BIM-based CPD, highlighting the importance of flexible and adaptable learning pathways. Originality/value This study extends research on motivation and engagement in CPD into the underexplored context of BIM-based learning in the AEC sector. While broadly consistent with workplace learning literature, the findings suggest that BIM-based CPD is distinguished by the importance of role-specific project relevance, interdisciplinary interaction and learners' diverse digital and BIM-related backgrounds. The study provides empirically grounded insights for designing BIM-based CPD.

The construction sector is central to achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal (EGD). While existing research on transition risks predominantly focuses on project- or firm-level challenges, less is known about the transition risks implied by high-level EU policy documents. This study addresses this gap by systematically analysing 101 EGD-related policy and guidance documents published between 2019 and February 2025. A mixed human-AI content analysis approach was applied, combining human expert manual coding with automated validation using large language models (Kimi K2 and GLM 4.6). The final dataset contains 2752 coded risk references organised into eight main categories and twenty-six subcategories. Results show that transition risks are most frequently associated with environmental, economic, and legislative domains, with Climate Change Impact, Cost of Transition, Pollution, Investment Risks, and Implementation Variability emerging as the most prominent risks across the corpus. Technological and social risks appear less frequently but highlight important systemic and contextual vulnerabilities. Overall, analysis of the EGD policy texts reveals the green transition as being constrained not only by environmental pressures but also by financial feasibility and execution capacity. The study provides a structured, policy-level risk profile of the EGD and demonstrates the value of hybrid human-LLM analysis for large-scale policy content analysis and interpretation. These insights support policymakers and industry stakeholders to anticipate structural uncertainties that may affect the construction sector's transition toward a low-carbon, circular economy.

The closed-loop material approach of the circular economy is deemed to minimise the construction industry's environmental impacts such as resource depletion and large amounts of waste generation. Local governments or municipalities responsible for regulating the construction industry through building permits offer the opportunity to explore the role of the building permit process in transit from linear to circular economy-based construction practices. This paper aims to identify challenges and enablers to integrating circular economy requirements into the building permit process. Further, to develop a conceptual model to outline the measures towards integrating circular economy requirements into the building permit process. This paper used a narrative literature review methodology. The literature search resulted in the challenges and enablers of the integration of circular economy requirements into the building permit process. The main challenges were current building codes are not flexible concerning the reuse or recycled materials, and limited national-level policies on incorporating circular economy-based practices requirements in building permit applications. To enable the integration of circular economy requirements into the building permit process pilot projects by municipalities, and government roles through developing regulations and building codes are pivotal. The results of this paper are useful for stakeholders in designing the building permit process to achieve sustainable construction projects.

In the European Union, the construction sector accounts for half of all raw materials used, one third of all waste generated and 40

Property markets are volatile, necessitating the constant recalculation of property values for a variety of reasons including for the efficient design and construction of buildings. This research is aimed at the automation of the property valuation process using Artificial Intelligence. In a three-part research effort, a Multiple Criteria Decision Method (MCDM) approach using Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) is first applied to predict the property value of new residential units on the basis of a comprehensive list of building characteristic variables identified as relevant for describing a particular property type (in the test case, terraced houses). For initial testing and validation of the valuation prediction calculations, the weights and values of criteria are determined through experts’ opinions and the estimated value of a test property is derived. This first part of the research is described in this report. The second phase of the research involves the automatic acquisition of the variables’ values for any building from the recently digitalised Estonian Building Register. The third part of the research focuses on replacing the need for experts’ opinions of the relative importance weightings of variables through the use of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model which is to be trained on existing and continuously refined on new property transaction price data and property characteristics from building permit applications and existing building registers. Parts two and three of this research are still to be carried out and they are outlined in this research paper. It is anticipated that this research will lead to greater efficiency and sustainability through better alignment between building design, construction and market-based property values.

Post-disaster reconstruction of the built environment represents a key global challenge that looks set to remain for the foreseeable future, but it also offers significant implications for the future sustainability and resilience of the built environment. The purpose of this research is to explore the current applications of advanced digital/Industry 4.0 technologies in the post-disaster reconstruction (PDR) process with a view to improving its effectiveness and efficiency and the sustainability and resilience of the built environment. The extant research literature from the Scopus database on built environment reconstruction is identified and described. In a novel literature review approach, small language models are used for the classification and filtering of technology-related articles. A qualitative content analysis is then carried out to understand the extent to which Industry 4.0 technologies are applied in current reconstruction practice, mapping their applications to specific phases of the PDR process and identifying dominant technologies and key trends in technology deployment. The study reveals a rapidly evolving landscape of technological innovation with transformative potential in enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of rebuilding efforts, with dominant technologies including GIS, remote sensing, AI, and BIM. Key trends include increasing automation and data-driven decision-making, integration of multiple Industry 4.0/digital technologies, and a growing emphasis on incorporating community needs and local knowledge into reconstruction plans. The study highlights the need for future research to address key challenges, such as developing interoperable platforms, addressing the ethical implications of using AI and big data, and exploring the contribution of Industry 4.0/digital technologies to sustainable reconstruction practices.

Significant improvements in the performance of the construction industryConstruction industries have been expected from Building Information Modeling (BIM) and this has led to widespread attempts at its adoption. In parallel, there has been growing interest among researchers to examine BIM adoptionBIM adoption processes together with the constraints they face, and this suggests that there is now a need for an up-to-date, state-of-the-art overview of BIM adoptionBIM adoption research. The purpose of this study is to review and analyze existing BIM adoptionBIM adoption research in order to synthesize their findings and derive an overall understanding of BIM adoptionBIM adoption processes. To achieve this purpose a systematic review methodology was followed. The scope of the review is limited to academic articles written in English that are focused on BIM adoptionBIM adoption processes and the factors affecting BIM adoptionBIM adoption. A total of 410 relevant articles comprising mainly exploratory surveys and case studies on BIM adoptionBIM adoption were identified and reviewed. Content analysisContent analysis of the articles resulted in the classification of BIM adoptionBIM adoption literature into project, organization, and industry levels and classification of factors affecting the BIM adoptionBIM adoption process. This research has implications for practice and research that the classification of factors that affect the BIM adoptionBIM adoption process can be used to help analyze BIM adoptionBIM adoption in different organizations.

In the field of AEC, Architecture Engineering and Construction, Building Information Modelling has increasingly assumed an important role, especially for construction simulation. BIM is needed for various building and management systems, particularly for project construction management. Students, teachers and operators of AEC need to have the availability of data, reports, pieces of information that allows to create BIM. BIM-based open learning resources repository for the BENEDICT project. "BENEDICT" is a European Erasmus project that has the aim of developing a web-based platform for BIM teaching that has a tight relationship with the AEC industry. Therefore, a BIM-enabled Learning Environment (BLE) can be used to implement BIM-based project planning and control for learners and future practitioners, with Open Learning Resources. Open Learning Resources (ORL) are learning, teaching and research materials in any format and medium that are useful for teaching, learning, and assessing and for research purposes. In addition to the BLE platform a BIM models repository was developed to store information for each component of the project and of the learning activities, and store OLR and students’ outputs. The BLE repository has the task of helping students and practitioners to implement BIM actual project models by developing an on-line repository of digital models, objects and elements, therefore providing knowledge transfer between different players

This research is developed within the European project “BENEDICT”. BENEDICT project aims at analyzing teaching approaches with BIM in the construction industry. The goal of this research is therefore to perform an exhaustive analysis on the methods of transmission of BIM awareness and education in American universities to complete a comprehensive comparison with the methods developed in Italian, Estonian and Finnish Universities through case study. Therefore, tackling existing skill gaps and mismatches between academia and industry, a teaching plan that aims to standardize and unify relevant teaching programs, tools and methods is developed.

Educational systems of the 21st century require agility and flexibility for construction graduates to have the skills, knowledge, and abilities required for effective performance in the construction industry, especially with the global digitalization of the industry. With reference to adaptive structuration theory (AST) as a theoretical lens and a survey research design, this research examined the relationship between building information modeling (BIM) as an advanced information technology and educators’ attitudes toward implementing BIM for construction education to prepare local graduates for global relevance and employment. Data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Ver 25). The findings of the study showed that group internal system, structure of BIM, and task and organizational environment play important roles in implementing BIM for construction education in the architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management (AEC/FM) disciplines. It was recommended that policymakers, academics, and curriculum developers pay attention to these factors for rapid development in the realm of BIM education. The development of a robust BIM education framework that considers these factors should also be studied.

DigitalizationDigitalization is transforming the real estateReal estate and construction (REC) sector and a key feature of this transformation is Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM offers opportunities for improving education and training through data-rich virtual environments in which project-based learning experiences can be designed and delivered. This could lead to considerable changes and improvements to the education and training of different professionals in the REC sector from managers to site workers. Researchers at Tallinn University of Technology, Tampere University, and the University of Bologna are currently developing a BIM-enabled LearningBIM-enabled learning Environment (BLE) with the intention of providing more realistic, immersive, and integrated learning experiences. A desk study identifying existing initiatives, mapping the educational-technological systems in the partner universities, and analyzing existing BIM-enabled learningBIM-enabled learning experiences at each partner university revealed an initial list of functional requirements for a BLE. This list was elaborated through 31 interviews of REC stakeholdersStakeholders in the three partner countries. A validation workshop was then held to confirm the relevance of the identified functional requirements, rank them in terms of their relative importance and identify any missing requirements. The resulting, validated functional requirements were then presented to technical experts at each of the universities for recommendations on how these functions could be technically delivered in the context of a BLE. Analysis of their feedback suggests a system design comprising a host platform based on a Learning Management System (LMS) installation with additional collaborationCollaborations tools and further integrations with (open) BIM solutions to enable course-specific BIM functionalities. This research relates to Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable developments Goals (SDGs) 4-Quality Education, as the BLE is intended to enhance education and training possibilities in the REC sector and 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities, as the result of improved REC education and training will lead to a more sustainable Built Environment.

This research explores the practical feasibility and effectiveness of BIM-enabled education in teaching the topic of project cash flows to construction management students. Using a participatory action research methodology, a BIM-enabled cash flow exercise was developed, carried out and refined in a construction investment course to simulate integrated practice. The results of the implementation demonstrate that BIM-enabled education can promote and infuse both BIM collaboration and professional practice experiences within an architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management (AEC-FM) curriculum. Additionally, the teaching practice and method in this intervention demonstrate the capability to accommodate all levels of knowledge in Bloom's taxonomy which is a standard requirement for educational module design. This study recommends that BIM-enabled education be embraced and explored by faculties in AEC-FM courses to improve teaching and learning of construction management concepts.

Introducing advanced information technologies (AITs) such as a BIM-enabled learningBIM-enabled learning environment (BLE) into architectural, engineering, construction, and facility management (AEC/FMAEC/FM) education might be an indirect but effective means of eradicating poverty and ensuring upward socioeconomic mobility for people all over the world, as the UN rightly recognizes in their mandate. In this study, we focus on a data collection tool to investigate the current state of the art of BIM for construction educationConstruction education among academics in an emerging economy (Nigeria). In the same framework, we strive to understand their perspectives, the benefits of BIM for construction educationConstruction education, and its perceived limitations. This preliminary study will assist us to later identify and compare structural features in these contexts to those in Europe and then assess the outcomes and repercussions of the proposed BLE in a developing economy like Nigeria. Using qualitative survey research design and analyzing with the aid of NVivo, nine themes emerged from the preliminary findings, viz., advantages, beyond present area, BIM in teaching, BIM in BIM-enabled learningBIM-enabled learning, constraints, general views about BIM in Nigeria, stakeholderStakeholders attitudes, and teaching method. These suggest that the designed data collection tool is sufficient in eliciting information from the population that is associated with BIM-enabled learningBIM-enabled learning among academics in emerging economies which would help in meeting the fourth goal (Quality Education) of the UN’s Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable developments Goal (SDG) plan.

Mass displacement is a major global challenge and the number of people who have been forced to flee their homes has doubled in the last decade to more than 100 million. Sudden population changes (both influx and exodus) impact the efficient functioning of the built environment and this affects social relations between host and displaced communities. In ameliorating negative impacts and fostering social cohesion, built environment professionals have an important role to play and they need to better understand mass displacement. This research investigated the role of built environment professionals in responding to mass displacement, identified requisite competencies and derived a competency framework. The competency framework was developed in a two-phase process. In the first phase, the types of built environment professionals and the scope of their competencies relevant to mass displacement were identified enabling an initial competency framework to be conceptualised and data collection tools to be developed. The second phase was aimed at developing, refining and then validating the competency framework. It employed a Delphi technique in which an international panel of 19 experts was established and responded to 3 rounds of progressive questioning using online questionnaires. While country contexts were found to differ considerably in terms of their direct involvement in mass displacement-related activities, built environment professionals do have an important role to play in mitigating the effects of mass displacement and promoting social cohesion between displaced and host communities. That role relates primarily to enabling displaced people to access services through the provision of the necessary infrastructure to deliver services (e.g., housing, transport, schools, etc.) and, also, through the appreciation of the interrelationships that exist between these accesses (e.g., language, transport, health and employment). Of the relevant competencies identified, a significant proportion of these were relevant to all professionals (not just built environment professionals) and related to their need to understand the mass displacement context. Further competencies identified were particularly relevant to built environment professionals and some were found to be occupation-specific in their relevance. A hierarchical competency framework was derived comprising 3-tiers of competencies: 1. Foundational competencies (of relevance to all professionals with an interest in mass displacement); 2. Industry-wide competencies (applicable to all built environment professionals); 3. Occupational competencies (applicable to a subset of built environment professionals). The resulting competency framework has subsequently provided the basis for developing a series of training courses and for the formulation of competency recommendations to built environment professional bodies.

With the recent technological advancement in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, building control authorities in a number of countries are trying to integrate BIM into their building permit processes. Nevertheless, considering the involvement of multiple stakeholders and contexts, adopting BIM in any organization is challenging. The aim of this research is to assess readiness for BIM-based building permit processes using Fuzzy-COPRAS, a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) method. In this research, three municipalities were selected as alternatives and twenty-five criteria (categorized into technology, people, process, and policies) related to BIM-based building permit processes were identified from a literature review. Then, as part of the COPRAS method, the weights of the criteria were determined based on their importance level through expert evaluation. The results of the study revealed the most important criteria for BIM-based building permit processes, i.e., supporting open standards, compatibility with existing building regulations and codes, willingness of employees, support from top management, and comprehensiveness of code compliance checks. Finally, the readiness assessment results demonstrated the most prepared alternative in the selected municipalities for the BIM-based building permit process based on the status of the considered criteria. The findings of this research have practical implications for municipalities considering and/or developing their BIM-based building permit processes in terms of where to focus their efforts with respect to the criteria associated with BIM-based building permits.

Public organizations responsible for building permits are increasingly considering the potential applications of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in their workflows, but BIM adoption still remains a complex challenge. This research aims to investigate the factors affecting BIM adoption for building permits through a case study of a public organization currently developing and piloting a BIM-based building permit process. A thematic analysis of semi-structured interview data revealed ten factors that influence BIM adoption for building permits: complexity (in both development and use) of a BIM-based building permit system; relative advantages/disadvantages of BIM for building permits; the existing building permit system; management support for a BIM-based building permit process; organizational culture; BIM awareness; training and learning; available expertise for a BIM-based building permit process; external pressure; and legal context. The findings are important for public authorities’ understanding of both the enablers and challenges of the BIM-based building permit process, and have practical implications for professionals in public authorities in particular, and also the Architecture Engineering Construction/Facilities Management (AEC/FM) industry in general, to guide their steps towards adopting BIM. This research also highlights the potential benefits of BIM adoption for the building permit process.

A cohesive society is not only characterised by the availability of basic services and facilities, but also promotes economic equality and inclusion, democracy, and social solidarity. Forced displacement due to disasters and conflict constantly disrupt the path to a sustainable and cohesive society. Displaced communities often struggle with a lack of access to livelihood and a lack of financial independence and social and family stability. With these challenges, a lack of provision of basic services and facilities will create a competition for housing, health, and education between the displaced and host communities. Additionally, the economic competition for jobs and the role of international aid in terms of fairness create social tension between the displaced and the host. Likewise, multiple aspects weaken the social cohesion between displaced and host communities. Within this context, we investigated approaches to enhance social cohesion following disaster-induced and conflict-induced displacement. With the identification of this research need, the research team of the project titled REGARD (REbuild-inG AfteR Displacement) conducted 47 in-depth interviews in four partner countries (U.K., Sweden, Estonia, and Sri Lanka) with community representatives, social support networks, agency networks, officials, etc. Moreover, focus group discussions were conducted with community members in Sri Lanka. The collected data were analysed through a qualitative data analysis procedure. The findings present eight approaches to strengthen the social cohesion between displaced and host communities. These eight approaches include the adequate provision of basic services and facilities without limiting the capacity of the host, support services aimed at local integration, economic integration between the displaced and host, and social cohesion through the built environment.

Digitalization of the AEC-FM industry has resulted in the reassessment of knowledge, knowledge management, teaching and learning, workflows and networks, roles, and relevance. Consequently, new approaches to teaching and learning to meet the demands of new jobs and abilities, new channels of communication, and a new awareness are required. Building Information Modelling (BIM) offers opportunities to address some of the current challenges through BIM-enabled education and training. This research defines the requisite characteristics of a BIM-enabled Learning Environment (BLE)—a web-based platform that facilitates BIM-enabled education and training—in order to develop a prototype version of the BLE. Using a mixed-methods research design and an Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST) perspective for interpreting the findings, 33 features and 5 distinct intentions behind those features were identified. These findings are valuable in taking forward the development of the BLE as they suggest a BLE requires the integration of functions from three existing types of information technology application (virtual learning environments, virtual collaboration platforms, and BIM applications). This study will inform the design of a web-based BLE for enhanced AEC-FM education and training, and it also provides a starting point for researchers to apply AST to evaluate the use of a BLE in different educational and training contexts.