A Comprehensive Review of Integrating BIM, AI, and Additive Manufacturing for Net-Zero Construction

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bengaluru 560111, Karnataka, India.
² Department of Civil Engineering, Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education, Vijayawada, India.
³ Department of Civil Engineering, Chennai Institute of Technology, India.
⁴ Department of Construction Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
⁵ School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 4100075, China.

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This paper systematically reviews how Building Information Modelling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Additive Manufacturing (AM) can be integrated to advance Net-Zero Construction (NZC) by reducing operational energy, embodied carbon, and material waste across the building life cycle. BIM has evolved from a 3D coordination tool into a data-rich platform linking design, construction, and operation, enabling performance-based decision-making. AI enhances this digital backbone through predictive analytics, pattern recognition, and multi-objective optimisation, allowing complex design variables to be evaluated efficiently. AM translates these optimised digital solutions into material-efficient, low-waste physical structures using flexible fabrication techniques. The review identifies key requirements for effective integration, including embedding sustainability semantics within BIM models, developing AM-aware AI optimisation frameworks, and enabling continuous lifecycle performance verification through digital twins. A four-layer framework, information, intelligence, execution, and governance, is proposed to align digital workflows with lifecycle carbon targets. Collectively, BIM–AI–AM integration offers a scalable and ethically grounded pathway toward measurable decarbonisation in the built environment.