The construction sector faces increasing pressure to transition toward circular economy (CE) practices to reduce material waste, embodied carbon, and lifecycle environmental impacts. Digital construction technologies from construction 4.0, particularly building information modeling (BIM) and digital twins (DTs), are widely promoted as key enablers of this transition. However, the current body of knowledge remains fragmented, with limited clarity on how BIM and DT collectively support circular strategies across the building lifecycle. This study aims to systematically synthesize and clarify how digital technologies enable CE implementation across lifecycle stages and identify where integration remains weak.
A PRISMA-guided review was conducted using Scopus as the primary database. The search strategy was structured around three dimensions: WHAT (digital technologies), TO WHAT (lifecycle phases), and FOR WHAT (circular objectives). A total of 266 peer-reviewed studies were included following screening and eligibility assessment. The review synthesizes frameworks, tools, and application patterns that link BIM, DTs, and complementary construction 4.0 technologies to CE outcomes.
The results reveal three insights. First, digital-enabled circular construction remains design-centric, with limited continuity into operation, maintenance, and end-of-life stages. Second, advanced capabilities such as artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and IoT-enabled feedback are underused for lifecycle-wide circular optimization. Third, interoperable and empirically validated BIM–DT ecosystems are scarce, and context-sensitive implementation frameworks remain underdeveloped.
This review relies on Scopus as the sole database, and although justified on its coverage basis, this introduces potential source-selection bias; future syntheses should triangulate with WoS and other databases like Google Scholar. No formal quality-appraisal instrument was applied, consistent with the review’s configurative aim, and the final list of studies remains weighted toward conceptual work and single-project pilots rather than validated, multiproject deployments. Future research should also prioritize longitudinal and multiproject validation of integrated BIM–DT ecosystems, interoperable data infrastructures supporting material passports and predemolition audits, and closer alignment between digital evidence and procurement, certification, and regulatory mechanisms.
The findings indicate that circularity cannot be achieved through isolated digital upgrades to BIM or DTs alone; it requires coordinated transformation of workflows, cross-phase data governance and market engagement. Practitioners should prioritize extending digital tools beyond design into operation, maintenance, and end-of-life decision-making, where circular value is most effectively retained but currently underexplored. For policymakers, the results highlight the need to activate digital circular tools through enforceable standards and incentives rather than voluntary adoption, particularly around interoperability, standardized circular indicators and material-passport infrastructure.
By clarifying how BIM and DTs can support CE practices across a building’s full lifecycle, this review contributes to reducing construction waste and embodied carbon, extending the useful life of building stock and supporting more resource-efficient urban development. As cities continue to urbanize and existing buildings age, coordinated digital-circular strategies can help reduce landfill burden and reliance on virgin material extraction, offering long-term benefits for environmental quality and the sustainability of the built environment.
This review presents a lifecycle-oriented synthesis integrating technologies, lifecycle phases, and circularity objectives into a unified analytical framework, providing a structured foundation for future research, policy alignment, and practice-oriented digital strategies in circular construction.
