XYZ BIMCollective · Portugal Research
xyzbim.eu / pesquisa / bim-radar · 2026-09-01

Heatmap of open access BIM research

All free papers (gold + green OA) on Building Information Modeling indexed by OpenAlex since 2015, classified by theme. The colour measures the intensity of each theme within its own history; the number is the total papers in the year (a paper can count towards several themes).

papers analysed10,800 since 2015
in 20261,584 so far
themes28
#1 themeAdoption, maturity & organisational management

Heatmap — theme × year

▲ gaining share · ▼ losing share · ★ emergent — change in the theme’s share of the total BIM OA papers, 2024–2026 vs 2019–2023 mean. Hover over the cells.

theme201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026*total
Adoption, maturity & organisational management▲68711011431792152452763414818216623603
Sustainability, LCA & energy▲565764831152032232503204928466403349
Infrastructure & civil works·566086971512162642923313935995463091
HBIM & heritage▼631071161162382322783063353684753913025
AI & machine learning▲626363811511741982192883505954882732
Facility management (FM) & 6D/7D▼7483811051892132322873253374113022639
Structures & structural analysis▲1929314160721211401732773783811722
Contracts, legal & public procurement▲43516456801171221421491923203281664
Safety & occupational health▲2523292855721151231802304123651657
Education & training·34486174941201191121712053302651633
GIS, geospatial & CIM·295358591061061191241241982402681484
Interoperability & IFC▲332739515997981021021572732821320
Scan-to-BIM & reality capture·163036309878931031231532011961157
IoT & sensors▲164111825375272861423192981080
Digital twins▲··1313244257106128263343980
5D & costs▲191520282357496184147209246958
4D & planning·292024304375859391105173147915
Information management, CDE & LOD·19203233605969747899150148841
Ontologies & linked data▲18243323525549706984166151794
VR, AR & immersive reality·9172017504560796411914198719
Prefabrication, precast & DfMA▲1313192237343745629314293610
Other / general BIM▼142117244457425759664531477
Standards & standardisation (ISO 19650…)▲7121219162630252557110118457
Robotics & digital fabrication▲3871028312738496410980454
Computer vision▼66693621263151487843361
Coordination & clash detection▲9612131416142427567081342
Automated rule checking▲101187822142731395160288
Blockchain & smart contracts▲···177182227266859235
papers / year260319350405645780824972113314692059158410,800
less more (theme max) * 2026 partial (up to 9 months)
▸ click a cell, a theme name or the cards to open the papers (links to the full text)

On the rise — growing share

Losing share

The most cited papers of the last 3 years (open access)

  1. A review of building digital twins to improve energy efficiency in the building operational stage2024 · 161 citations · Energy Informatics
  2. Digital twins for the automation of the heritage construction sector2023 · 150 citations · Automation in Construction
  3. Improving building occupant comfort through a digital twin approach: A Bayesian network model and predictive maintenance method2023 · 130 citations · Energy and Buildings
  4. Digital technologies in architecture, engineering, and construction2023 · 130 citations · Automation in Construction
  5. From LCA to circular design: A comparative study of digital tools for the built environment2023 · 125 citations · Resources Conservation and Recycling
  6. Multiobjective Optimization-Based Collective Opinion Generation With Fairness Concern2023 · 120 citations · IEEE Transactions on Systems Man and Cybernetics Systems
  7. Digital Twin Framework for Built Environment: A Review of Key Enablers2024 · 118 citations · Energies
  8. IoT-BIM and blockchain integration for enhanced data traceability in offsite manufacturing2024 · 118 citations · Automation in Construction
  9. Exploring the Benefits and Limitations of Digital Twin Technology in Building Energy2023 · 114 citations · Applied Sciences
  10. The Application of Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) to Cultural Heritage: A Review2023 · 114 citations · Heritage
  11. Recent Technological Advancements in BIM and LCA Integration for Sustainable Construction: A Review2024 · 114 citations · Sustainability
  12. The Role of BIM in Integrating Digital Twin in Building Construction: A Literature Review2023 · 106 citations · Sustainability
  13. Integration of building information modeling and project management in construction project life cycle2023 · 102 citations · Automation in Construction
  14. A framework using BIM and digital twins in facilitating LCSA for buildings2023 · 101 citations · Journal of Building Engineering
  15. Barriers to Building Information Modeling (BIM) Deployment in Small Construction Projects: Malaysian Construction Industry2023 · 100 citations · Sustainability