In building projects, the extraction of vast quantities of materials is too common. The extraction of materials and the erection of buildings consume embodied energy and emit carbon dioxide (CO₂) that impact negatively on the environment. Therefore it is necessary to consider embodied energy and CO₂ amongst other factors in selecting building materials for use in building projects. In most developing countries, building environmental performance analysis has yet to gain interest from the construction community. However, with recent increase in sustainability awareness, both developed and developing nations have engaged in efforts to tackle this challenge. Embodied energy and CO₂ are among the leading parameters in assessing environmental building performance. In Cameroon, studies about the assessment of embodied energy and CO₂ of building projects are scarce. Hence, professionals find it difficult to make alternative choices for building materials to use in their different building projects. This study uses a detailed process analysis approach supported by two popular housing types in Cameroon (mud-brick and cement-block houses) to assess the embodied energy and CO₂ impacts from building materials. The emerging Building Information Modelling (BIM) tool was used to validate the computational results of the process analysis method. The findings revealed the embodied energy and CO₂ for the mud-brick houses are 137934.91 MJ (2007.8 MJ/m²) and 15665.56 Kg CO₂ (228.03 Kg CO₂/m²); the cement-block houses are 292326.81 MJ (3065.51 MJ/m²) and 37829.19 Kg CO₂ (396.7 Kg CO₂/m²) respectively. Thus, the cement-block house expends at least 1.5 times more embodied energy and emits at least 1.7 times more embodied CO₂ than mud-brick house. Although these findings cannot be generalized, they nonetheless indicate the importance of considering embodied energy and CO₂ in making alternative choices for use in different building projects.

Digital twin, as an important enabling tool for digital transformation, has received increasing attention from researchers and practitioners since its definition was formalised. Especially in the global context and exacerbated by Covid-19, the applications of the digital twin have offered opportunities for many industries. While the digital twin has already been widely used in many sectors such as manufacturing and the construction industry—one of the key engines of economic development, is still lagging behind many other sectors. This study uses the systematic literature review to assess the applications of digital twin in manufacturing and construction respectively, the benefits it brings, and the impediments to its application. Based on this, a comparison is made of digital twin applications in the manufacturing and construction industries to draw lessons. This study concluded that although the use of digital twin in manufacturing is better than construction overall, it is still not reaching its full potential. Despite many benefits brought by the digital twin to construction during the project lifecycle, the construction sector faces even greater challenges than manufacturing in digital twin adoption. By comparison, this study drew five lessons to drive better adoption of the digital twin. The construction industry needs to accelerate the deployment of relevant hardware, promote the standard unification of digital twin, explore the whole lifecycle application of the digital twin, enhance data protection, and embrace changes. This study was limited in the scope of data collection. Future research could focus on gathering information from specific case studies, to produce more comprehensive perspectives.

The urgent need to improve performance in the construction industry has led to the adoption of many innovative technologies. 3D laser scanners are amongst the leading technologies being used to capture and process assets or construction project data for use in various applications. Due to its nascent nature, many questions are still unanswered about 3D laser scanning, which in turn contribute to the slow adaptation of the technology. Some of these include the role of 3D laser scanners in capturing and processing raw construction project data. How accurate are the 3D laser scanner or point cloud data? How does laser scanning fit with other wider emerging technologies such as building information modeling (BIM)? This study adopts a proof-of-concept approach, which in addition to answering the aforementioned questions, illustrates the application of the technology in practice. The study finds that the quality of the data, commonly referred to as point cloud data, is still a major issue as it depends on the distance between the target object and 3D laser scanner’s station. Additionally, the quality of the data is still very dependent on data file sizes and the computational power of the processing machine. Lastly, the connection between laser scanning and BIM approaches is still weak as what can be done with a point cloud data model in a BIM environment is still very limited. The aforementioned findings reinforce existing views on the use of 3D laser scanners in capturing and processing construction project data.

Climate change and global warming have triggered a global increase in the use of renewable energy for various purposes. In recent years, the photovoltaic (PV)-system has become one of the most popular renewable energy technologies that captures solar energy for different applications. Despite its popularity, its adoption is still facing enormous challenges, especially in developing countries. Experience from research and practice has revealed that installed PV-systems significantly underperform. This has been one of the major barriers to PV-system adoption, yet it has received very little attention. The poor performance of installed PV-systems means they do not generate the required electric energy output they have been designed to produce. Performance assessment parameters such as performance yields and performance ratio (PR) help to provide mathematical accounts of the expected energy output of PV-systems. Many reasons have been advanced for the disparity in the performance of PV-systems. This study aims to analyze the factors that affect the performance of installed PV-systems, such as geographical location, solar irradiance, dust, and shading. Other factors such as multiplicity of PV-system components in the market and the complexity of the permutations of these components, their types, efficiencies, and their different performance indicators are poorly understood, thus making it difficult to optimize the efficiency of the system as a whole. Furthermore, mathematical computations are presented to prove that the different design methods often used for the design of PV-systems lead to results with significant differences due to different assumptions often made early on. The methods for the design of PV-systems are critically appraised. There is a paucity of literature about the different methods of designing PV-systems, their disparities, and the outcomes of each method. The rationale behind this review is to analyze the variations in designs and offer far-reaching recommendations for future studies so that researchers can come up with more standardized design approaches.

When building homes, sustainability principles should be followed throughout the process to achieve maximum advantages. Building information modeling (BIM) activities can aid in achieving sustainable goals. Third-world countries’ building industry implements informal approaches to information dissemination through email newsletters and websites. This research seeks to provide a model for the application of BIM and its relationship with overall sustainable success (OSS) in building projects. BIM activities were identified from the literature, and a survey form was distributed to 180 professionals in the Egyptian construction industry. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to establish the structure of BIM activities and assess their correlation with project success, revealing BIM accounts for 30% of sustainability. The study’s findings inform decision-making to improve project sustainability and reduce costs by introducing BIM to developing countries’ construction industries.

Poor information management is predominant in construction projects and tends to have a negative effect on project outcomes. The use of technology, in particular building information modelling (BIM), has been promoted to address information management issues. However, the adoption of BIM is fraught with challenges, such as a lack of standardisation and difficulties in effectively adopting standards such as ISO 19650. This research aims to deepen knowledge and improve the management of BIM standards, particularly in using ISO 19650 to collaboratively deliver construction projects by applying process modelling techniques. By employing a mixed-methods approach that combines document analysis and qualitative interviews, this study critically examines the principles and requirements of ISO 19650 and their practical implications. It focuses on how process modelling can clarify complex concepts and improve information management. The findings indicate that process modelling significantly aids in comprehending ISO 19650, making its intricate concepts more accessible to multidisciplinary teams, enhancing stakeholder communication, improving project execution efficiency, and reducing errors and rework. Furthermore, this research emphasises the need to distinguish ISO 19650-derived elements from those adapted from other sources to ensure transparency and integrity in project management practices. The main implications of this study are two-fold. From a research perspective, it contributes to the academic discourse by addressing a critical gap in the literature, which has largely focused on BIM technology implementation rather than the processes and workflows necessary for effective standard adoption. From a practical perspective, this study promotes transparency and integrity in project management practices, enabling organisations to adopt and adhere to standardised practices more effectively in collaborative environments.