Review of the Effects of Digital Transformation on the Construction Industry

Digital transformation (DT) is increasingly reshaping construction through data-driven design, connected assets, and platform-based coordination across fragmented project ecosystems. This paper provides a systematic review of DT research in the construction industry using a PRISMA-guided search strategy in Scopus (2016–2025). After de-duplication and multi-stage screening (title/metadata, abstract, and full-text eligibility), 30 peer‑reviewed studies were retained for analysis. We apply an inductive conceptual synthesis to develop two interlinked taxonomies: (i) DT dimensions in project-based settings (digital strategy, stakeholder engagement and coordination, innovation culture, enabling technologies, and data & analytics) and (ii) construction-industry context dimensions (stakeholders, project phases, construction types, key processes/techniques, and economic–environmental considerations). Cross-study synthesis shows strong concentration on BIM/digital twins, IoT-enabled monitoring and automation, and AI/analytics for safety, quality and scheduling; by contrast, organizational change mechanisms, interoperability governance, and long-term outcome evaluation remain underdeveloped. The review distinguishes technologies that are potentially transformative (integrated BIM–twin platforms and analytics-enabled decision infrastructures) from tools that primarily yield incremental gains (standalone automation/sensing). We conclude with actionable implications for researchers (socio-technical and cross-context validation) and practitioners (capability building, data governance, and phased integration roadmaps).