Building Information Modeling for Timber Buildings- A Review

Abstract

Timber Is A Common Building Material Which Has Long Been Used In Human Building Industry. With Recent Groundbreaking Technologies And Urgent Call For Lower Carbon Built Environment, Timber Construction Has Now Become More Industrial And Popular Globally. However, It Is Facing Many Challenges, Including Design-Related Difficulties, Poor Coordination Among The Project Parties, Lack Of Experience, Etc. These Challenges Can Be Lifted By Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) For More Informed And Optimal Decision Making, Leaner And More Integrated Project Delivery Process, Better Visualization For Communication, Training And Education, Etc. Yet, The Past Academic Publications On BIM For Timber Buildings Have Not Been Reviewed In A Systematic Way. The Aim Of This Study Is To Find The Key Research Focuses, BIM Uses, Current Limitations And Future Potentials Of This Topic Via A Series Of Literature Review And Analysis. The Main Research Focuses Identified Are BIM For Optimal Design, Innovative Process, And Reservation And Retrofit Of Timber Buildings. The Key Future Research Potentials Identified Are The Demands Of Establishing Platforms And Databases For More Integrated Or Efficient Timber Building Design And Evaluation Process, And Higher Efficiency In Data Transformation And Transfer Across Project Phases In Order To Foster A Leaner Timber Construction Industry. The Results Of This Paper Can Provide Readers Start-Of-The-Art Knowledge On The Current BIM Application And Development For Timber Building Industry And Directions For Future Research.