https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0305
Digital transformation in construction: evidence from Brazil
Laura L. de A. Fernandes1 & Dayana Bastos Costa2
1Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa, Brazil, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-4041-80252Associate Professor, School of Engineering, Department of Structural and Construction Engineering, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-1457-6401
Abstract
Recent industrial revolutions have been transforming industries and society, leading to major changes in the construction sector. Despite significant advances in research on Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 in construction in developed countries, the digital transformation of construction industries in less industrialized contexts remains underexplored, especially from a production-stage perspective. Therefore, this study discusses the digital transformation process in construction, drawing on evidence from Brazil. To this end, a Maturity Measurement System (MMS) was applied to six case studies. The MMS assesses digital transformation maturity in construction production using a sociotechnical approach that integrates the principles of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. The results indicate that digital transformation in these projects remains at an early stage, particularly with respect to social dimensions, which remain underdeveloped. The main contribution of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on the digital transformation process in less industrialized construction contexts, highlighting the role of sociotechnical approaches, Lean Construction, and BIM as key enablers of effective and inclusive digitalization.
Keywords
Digital transformation, construction, lean construction, BIM, sociotechnical approaches.
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Reference in APA 7th edition format:
Fernandes, L. L. A. & Costa, D. B.. (2026). Digital transformation in construction: evidence from Brazil. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 294–306). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0305
Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:
Fernandes, L. L. A. & Costa, D. B.. (2026). Digital transformation in construction: evidence from Brazil. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0305
Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.
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