Barriers to adopting simulation modelling in construction industry

Abstract Research efforts have been proving that computer simulation is a useful decision-support tool for construction projects for more than four decades. Nevertheless, it has not gained widespread adoption by the industry. This paper summarises the barriers to adopting simulation in the construction industry and the level of attention those barriers have received from researchers to date. A systematic literature review was carried out by searching databases and the profiles of the top researchers in this field to identify the journal papers, conference articles, and theses that have addressed the barriers from 2000 to 2019. The search process resulted in 78 documents with 14 barriers recorded. A critical analysis of the barriers was then conducted. The final analysis suggests four areas for improvement to overcome the identified barriers. Addressing the barriers can lead to a better realisation of simulation benefits in the industry, thus stimulating the uptake of simulation in construction.