A systematic review of physical and environmental indicators for BIM implementation in construction and demolition waste management

Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste poses significant environmental and economic challenges globally, with conventional management methods proving inefficient. This systematic review evaluates Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications in C&D waste management through analysis of physical and environmental indicators. Using a mixed-methods approach combining case study analysis of an 8-tower residential complex with comparative lifecycle assessment, we demonstrate BIM’s capacity to: (1) reduce material waste by 22.8% for blocks and 4.6% for concrete compared to traditional methods, (2) decrease CO₂ emissions by 25% through optimized transport and recycling strategies, and (3) achieve near-zero waste (96.42% reduction) when implementing Dynamo-based parametric design controls. Key findings reveal: • Economic benefits: 15-20% cost reduction through precise material quantification • Environmental gains: 664,100 kg CO₂e reduction potential per project • Operational efficiency: 87.18% improvement in waste forecasting accuracy This study establishes BIM as a transformative tool for achieving UN SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities) and 12 (Responsible Consumption), particularly in high-waste regions like Iraq where current recycling rates remain below 3%.