Adoption of AR (Augmented Reality) in BIM (Building information modelling) enabled FM (Facilities Management): a systematic review

During the last decade many governments worldwide introduced mandatory regulations of BIM implementation. Accordingly, BIM has been widely adopted within the industry supply chain. Rather than being a software, BIM serves as a process that has the ability to pillar any project’s complete lifecycle. Despite the potentials of BIM being recognized, the studies on its adoption are still limited, in particular at the stage of FM, which is considered to be the lengthiest and the costliest one in the entire project’s lifecycle. Therefore, there is a need for BIM to mature and adopt by blending with other technologies in order to support FM more efficiently. Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology which is being utilized within the construction sector and has demonstrated benefits in managing operations and maintenance (O&M) of assets. AR superimposes digital material on top of real-world environment; hence the information delivered out of AR is reliable, traceable and meaningful. Various current studies on the implementation of AR in FM have focused on developing conceptual models or frameworks to enhance the management of facilities. This paper is addressing a gap of systematic literature review (SLR) for implementing AR in BIM enabled FM. The primary aim is to evaluate the advantages of integrating AR and BIM to support FM teams leading to an efficient management of operations and maintenance of assets. The findings of this work helps in expanding the limited body of evidence by summarizing the current status of AR’s use in FM, shedding light on the important gaps in research, and helping to identify directions that future research can take.