Cloud computing in construction industry: Use cases, benefits and challenges

Cloud computing technologies have revolutionised several industries (such as aerospace, manufacturing, automobile, retail, etc.) for several years. Although the construction industry is well placed to also leverage these technologies for competitive and operational advantage, the diffusion of the technologies in the industry follows a steep curve. This study therefore highlights the current contributions and use cases of cloud computing technologies in construction practices. As such, a systematic review was carried out using ninety-two (92) peer-reviewed publications, published within a ten-year period of 2009-2019. A key highlight of the research findings is that cloud computing is an innovation delivery enabler for other emerging technologies (building information modelling, internet of things, virtual reality, augmented reality, big data analytics, mobile computing) in the construction industry. As such, this paper brings to the fore, current and future application areas of cloud computing vis-à-vis other emerging technologies in the construction industry. The paper also identifies barriers to the broader adoption of cloud computing in the construction industry and discusses strategies for overcoming these barriers