Demystifying the affordance diffusion of BIM in sustainable construction: state of the art and future perspectives

Purpose Building information modeling (BIM) has been widely recognized as a critical digital technology for advancing sustainable construction in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. However, the role of BIM in sustainability research remains conceptually fragmented, with prior studies emphasizing diverse functions such as visualization, sustainable material selection and integration with digital twins. This study aims to clarify how BIM-related sustainability research has evolved and to develop a conceptual framework explaining how BIM enables different forms of sustainability over time. Design/methodology/approach This study conducts a systematic literature review using main path analysis (MPA) on a citation network of 609 publications derived from 730 eligible publications to identify the key studies shaping the intellectual trajectory of BIM research in sustainable construction. Drawing on the affordance perspective, the study interprets how BIM's technological potential is actualized across different stages of development in the context of sustainable construction within the AEC industry. Findings The results reveal that BIM affordances in sustainable construction have evolved through three phases: projecting, integrating and standardizing. These phases correspond to successive forms of sustainability: design sustainability, expanding sustainability and institutionalized sustainability. The findings indicate that sustainable outcomes do not automatically arise from advanced BIM functionalities; rather, they emerge when technological affordances are aligned with managerial intentions, organizational integration and industry interoperability standards. Originality/value By integrating main path analysis with the affordance perspective, this study explains the diffusion and realization of BIM-enabled sustainability, positioning BIM as a strategic digital infrastructure in the governance and coordination of sustainable construction.