Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Brazil's Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry: A Review and a Bibliometric Study

Abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is transforming how buildings are designed, constructed, operated, maintained and demolished and has attracted significant attention as a process that can positively impact the performance of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) projects. The research and use of BIM processes and software in Brazil are incipient. This paper aims to provide a review of the scope of the Brazilian BIM literature and outlines the most important directions for future research. The work is developed based on an extensive and critical bibliographic study on journals, papers, conferences and Brazilian-authored master's and doctoral dissertations. The results show little significant Brazilian contributions in the international field and scarce BIM implementation in the Brazilian AEC industry, especially in interoperability issues, post-construction phases, and life cycle analysis.The reasons for this finding are the lack of professionals involved in the entire life cycle of buildings who have expertise in BIM tools and processes as well as the fact that teaching and research on BIM in universities and Brazilian research centers are weak compared to other countries, which shows the need for these institutions to adopt the BIM model as an essential tool for teaching engineering and architecture.BIM, construction, sustainability, review, Brazil