BIM-Enabled DfMA and Environmental Sustainability in Construction: A Systematic Review of Outcomes, Mechanisms and Evidence

The construction sector faces environmental pressures from material use, waste, energy and carbon emissions. Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) can support environmental improvement through more integrated design, production and assembly. However, environmental benefits are often attributed to BIM-enabled DfMA without direct assessment, and it remains unclear which outcomes have been demonstrated and which mechanisms are associated with them. This study addresses this gap through a systematic literature review of 43 studies published between 2018 and 2026. Using an evidence-based management lens, the review examined BIM–DfMA integration, the environmental outcomes and mechanisms reported, and their evidential basis. Material efficiency and waste reduction were the most frequently reported outcomes and had the largest directly assessed evidence base, whereas carbon reduction, energy efficiency and circularity were less frequently assessed. Design optimisation, reduced rework, standardisation and reduced component variation were the most frequently identified mechanisms. The review proposes a conceptual framework showing that BIM–DfMA adoption alone does not establish environmental improvement and that environmental performance needs to be considered in relation to environmental criteria embedded in decisions, the material and construction system, and the lifecycle stages assessed. BIM–DfMA workflows should therefore include measurable environmental criteria, defined baselines and appropriate assessment boundaries to support consistent evaluation of environmental claims.