Fuente: Sustainability - Revista científica (MDPI) Sustainability, Vol. 17, Pages 11247: Digital Technologies for Sustainable Construction Project Management: A Systematic Review of Benefits and Challenges
Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su172411247
Authors:
Folasade Olabisi Adejola
Eveth Nkeiruka Nwobodo-Anyadiegwu

The construction industry remains a cornerstone of the global economy; however, it continues to face persistent challenges, including low productivity, frequent workplace accidents, and environmental degradation. This study employs a systematic literature review to explore how digital technologies can enhance these three areas in construction project management, focusing on their benefits and challenges. The study adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 18 articles were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science databases. The findings highlight Building Information Modeling (BIM) as the most influential digital innovation supporting productivity gains, improved safety standards, and progress towards sustainable practices. Among the three focus areas, productivity remains the most extensively investigated, while sustainability is relatively underexplored. The identified benefits include increased productivity, enhanced safety, improved risk management, data-driven decision-making, improved sustainability, real-time monitoring, and stronger collaboration. Conversely, significant barriers include high implementation and training costs, data privacy concerns, a limited number of skilled workers, and resistance to change among construction stakeholders. The review emphasizes the need for further empirical studies that investigate underrepresented technologies and regional contexts. It further suggests that industry practitioners and policymakers should prioritize digital capacity building, policy incentives, and regulatory frameworks to strengthen the sustainable digital transformation of construction project management. This review presents a unique, integrated perspective by synthesizing outcomes related to productivity, safety, and sustainability. It not only delineates critical research gaps but also provides actionable guidance for industry practitioners and policymakers by prioritizing strategic areas such as digital capacity building, policy incentives, and regulatory frameworks.