Digitalisation in the Construction Industry: A Global Bibliometric Analysis of Trends, Themes and Emerging Frontiers (2010–2025)

Purpose: This study presents a bibliometric survey of the research on global digitalisation in the construction sector, using 420 documents published between 2010 and 2025 on the Scopus database to track the trends in publications, key contributors, thematic categories, and research frontiers through the identification of key bursts. Design/Methodology/Approach: The PRISMA protocol was used to search and screen databases for documents. The search query used in the Scopus database was Boolean and involved the combination of the keywords, digitalization, computerization, and digitising with the construction industry to retrieve 1,583 documents, of which 420 were included based on sequential filtering by the subject area, document type, language, and content relevance. Bibliometric analyses used VOSviewer to map and cluster keyword co-occurrence networks, and employed the automaton-based burst-detection algorithm of Kleinberg with silhouette scoring for temporal keywords. Results: The dataset accumulates a total of 4,979 citations and a field h-index of 37 and a mean citation rate of 11.85/document. The increase in publications is very high: prior to 2020, there were 21 publications; in the 2023-2025 period alone, 301 papers have been published, which is 71.7 percent of the entire corpus. China is the most frequent in terms of publications (75 documents), whereas the United Kingdom is the most effective in terms of citation (58 documents, 1,254 citations). The most prolific African contributor is South Africa (27 documents, 480 citations). Keyword burst detection identifies digitalization (burst strength = 6.997, 2019–2022), productivity (5.469, 2019–2021), and BIM (4.671, 2019–2022) as the field's foundational surge keywords, while infrastructure (2.562, 2022–2024, silhouette = 0.950) and waste management (2.373, 2023–2024, silhouette = 0.959) constitute the sharpest current frontiers. Also, four thematic clusters were defined. Research Limitations: The study is limited to publications indexed in Scopus and to English-language publications. The manual content filtering from 1,277-420 documents results in a certain degree of subjectivity, which can be removed in future research through multi-reviewer validation. Practical Implications: Policymakers in developing economies should invest in digital infrastructure and skills development targeted at the construction industry. The thematic gaps identified, especially the almost complete lack of developing-country-specific digital adoption frameworks, should be prioritized by research communities. Originality/Value: This is a bibliometric study on construction industry digitalisation by burst detection and silhouette scoring alongside conventional bibliometric techniques. It pinpoints where the field has been, where it is, and where the greatest demands lie for empirical and theoretical investment.研究目的：本研究针对建筑领域全球数字化研究开展文献计量学调查，依托Scopus数据库（Scopus）中2010年至2025年间发表的420篇文献，通过识别关键突发主题，追踪该领域的出版物增长趋势、核心贡献主体、主题分类及研究前沿。 研究设计与方法：本研究采用PRISMA声明（PRISMA）进行数据库检索与文献筛选。在Scopus数据库（Scopus）中构建布尔逻辑检索式，将关键词“数字化（digitalization）”“计算机化（computerization）”与“数字化转型（digitising）”与建筑业主题组合检索，共得到1583篇文献；经主题领域、文献类型、语言及内容相关性的逐级筛选后，最终纳入420篇符合要求的文献。文献计量分析环节采用VOSviewer（VOSviewer）绘制并聚类关键词共现网络，同时引入克莱因伯格（Kleinberg）提出的基于自动机的突发检测算法，结合轮廓系数（silhouette scoring）对时间维度关键词开展分析。 研究结果：本数据集累计总被引频次达4979次，领域h指数（h-index）为37，篇均被引率为11.85次/篇。该领域出版物数量增长态势显著：2020年以前仅发表21篇文献，而仅2023-2025年间即发表301篇，占总文献量的71.7%。从发文量来看，中国以75篇位居全球首位；从引文影响力来看，英国表现最优，累计发表58篇文献，总被引频次达1254次。非洲地区发文量最高的贡献主体为南非，累计发表27篇文献，总被引480次。关键词突发检测结果显示，数字化（突发强度=6.997，2019-2022）、生产力（突发强度=5.469，2019-2021）与建筑信息模型（BIM，Building Information Modeling，突发强度=4.671，2019-2022）为该领域的核心爆发式主题关键词；而基础设施（突发强度=2.562，2022-2024，轮廓系数=0.950）与废物管理（突发强度=2.373，2023-2024，轮廓系数=0.959）则构成当前最前沿的研究热点。此外，本研究共划分出4个主题聚类。 研究局限：本研究仅纳入Scopus数据库收录且以英文发表的文献。从初始的1277篇文献经人工内容筛选至420篇的过程中存在一定主观性，未来可通过多评审者交叉验证的方式消除该偏差。 实践启示：发展中经济体的政策制定者应针对性地面向建筑业投资数字基础设施建设与职业技能培训。研究共同体应优先填补当前的主题研究缺口，尤其是针对发展中国家的数字化采纳框架几乎完全缺失的问题。 研究创新性与价值：本研究将突发检测与轮廓系数分析结合传统文献计量技术，开展建筑行业数字化领域的文献计量研究，明确了该领域的发展历程、当前研究态势以及实证与理论研究的重点投入方向。