Mapping the Evolution of 4D BIM in Construction Digitalisation: A Scientometric Analysis and Review

Project delays are a common challenge in the construction industry and often result in increased costs and inefficiencies. As a solution to these ongoing problems, 4D Building Information Modelling (BIM) has emerged as a powerful tool for improving project planning and project management. However, despite the growing interest in 4D BIM, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of its development and integration with new technologies in construction. This study aims to address this gap by conducting a scientometric review of 4D BIM, focusing on growth patterns, prominent subject categories, keywords, highly cited studies, influential authors and emerging themes. A total of 558 bibliographic records from the Web of Science core collection database (2007-2024) were analysed. CiteSpace was employed to conduct four scientometric analyses, which included exploring coauthorship, co-word relationships, co-citation patterns and clusters. The study found that the emerging themes include technology integration, construction management, safety and risk management, spatial and urban modelling and digital twin reality capture planning. The study also emphasises the importance of integrating technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR) with 4D BIM to enhance predictive analytics and support smarter construction management practices. This review not only provides valuable insights into the future of 4D BIM in construction digitalisation but also offers practical guidance for countries looking to adopt 4D BIM and emerging technologies in their construction industries.