Volume 61

The Role of Digital Technologies in Enhancing Building Resilience: Insights from Literature and Swedish Expert Practice Mohammad Befkin, Alaa Krayem

Abstract

This study investigates how digital tools contribute to building resilience, structured around the widely recognized 4Rs framework: Robustness, Redundancy, Resourcefulness, and Rapidity. Given the range of technologies, we began with semi-structured interviews with seven building experts in the Swedish construction to identify which digital tools are most relevant and commonly used in practice. Four core technologies; Building Information Modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Smart Sensors emerged as central to enhancing resilience. In parallel, a Scopus-based literature review was conducted to identify existing building resilience frameworks and assess the integration of digital technologies within them. A 4×4 scoring heatmap matrix was developed to quantify each tool’s contribution across the 4Rs. Results show that BIM supports robustness in the design phase; IoT and Smart Sensors improve redundancy and rapidity through real-time monitoring and automated responses; AI enhances resourcefulness and rapidity via predictive analytics and decision-making. The study highlights a critical gap in current resilience indices and proposes the integration of digital tools to support more adaptive and data-informed approaches to resilient building design and operation.

Keywords Building Resilience, BIM, IoT, Artificial Intelligence, Smart Sensors, 4Rs