An In-Depth Survey Demystifying the Internet of Things (IoT) in the Construction Industry: Unfolding New Dimensions

TLDR

IoT is widely adopted across many sectors, yet its use in construction remains limited; integrating IoT with Construction 4.0 drivers such as BIM, procurement, safety, and SHM offers a promising framework, though research in this area is still nascent. The study aims to map the current state of IoT adoption within Construction 4.0 and to identify the unique roadblocks to seamless integration, providing a reference for managers, professionals, and laypersons. To achieve this, the authors conducted a comprehensive review of 257 research articles, summarizing adoption status in developed and developing countries and cataloguing the principal barriers to IoT integration with key Construction 4.0 drivers.

Abstract

In this digital era, many industries have widely adopted the Internet of Things (IoT), yet its implementation in the construction industry is relatively limited. Integration of Construction 4.0 drivers, such as business information modeling (BIM), procurement, construction safety, and structural health monitoring (SHM), with IoT devices, provides an effective framework for applications to enhance construction and operational efficiencies. IoT and Construction 4.0 driver integration research, however, is still in its infancy. It is necessary to understand the present state of IoT adoption in the Construction 4.0 context. This paper presented a comprehensive review to identify the IoT adoption status in the Construction 4.0 areas. Furthermore, this work highlighted the potential roadblocks to IoT’s seamless adoption that are unique to the areas of Construction 4.0 in developing countries. Altogether, 257 research articles were reviewed to present the current state of IoT adoption in developed and developing countries, as well as the topmost barriers encountered in integrating IoT with the key Construction 4.0 drivers. This study aimed to provide a reference for construction managers to observe challenges, professionals to explore the hybridization possibilities of IoT in the context of Construction 4.0, and laymen to understand the high-level scientific research that underpins IoT in the construction industry.