Uses of building information modelling for overcoming barriers to a circular economy

The current linear economy approach of the construction industry is partly responsible for the environmental impact of the sector. The urgent need to move towards a more circular approach is becoming a priority and concurrently the use of building information modelling (BIM) is now mandated in many countries. However, the use of BIM for the management of a building’ end-of-life is still quite rare. A literature review was conducted to explore the state of the art of BIM uses in the building industry, which included academic sources and non-academic studies. This was followed by 20 semi-structured interviews with experts in the field of architecture and circular economy or BIM. The aim was to explore what would be the BIM uses that may help practitioners to adopt a circular economy approach. Analysis of the data identified 35 BIM uses that may foster the implementation of a circular economy approach. 28 of these were extracted from the literature, of which 19 were reported by the interviewees as having potential for helping with the management of the building's end-of-life and recovered materials. Seven new BIM uses were identified from analysis of the interview data, which may provide guidance and support for the adoption of the circular economy approach.