Evaluating the Drivers, Barriers, and Benefits of Digital Construction Tools in the Egyptian Construction Industry

A digital transformation of the construction industry is now in place to improve efficiency, quality, sustainability, and competitiveness. Although numerous studies have reported the advantages of digital construction technologies, their adoption within the Egyptian construction industry remains limited. This study investigates the drivers, barriers, and perceived benefits influencing the adoption of digital construction technologies in the Egyptian construction industry. The survey was conducted with 228 construction professionals (architects, engineers, project managers) to determine how the use of digital tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), can influence the performance of the project. The results show that the main factors that prompt the use of digital include quality improvement, increased precision, and gaining a competitive edge. The main barriers found to be the most significant are the high costs, deficient infrastructure and a lack of skilled staff. In addition, the study outlines various advantages of digital tools, such as cost-saving, better quality of the project, higher safety, and higher productivity. The study will be significant to the current body of literature as it will determine the important determinants that influence the acceptance of digital technologies in the Egyptian construction sector. It provides specific suggestions on how to overcome the barriers to adoption, including building strong infrastructure, providing financial incentives and capacity-building measures. The findings can be of great use to the policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the industry that aims to accelerate digitalization and to enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of construction projects in Egypt.