Quantifying the Role of BIM in Advancing Sustainable Lifecycle Management of Buildings Structures by SDG-Mediated Pathways: A PLS-SEM Study

The construction industry is under increasing pressure to align its practices with global sustainability agendas, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aims to quantitatively examine the role of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in enhancing the Lifecycle Management of Building Structures (LMBS), with SDGs 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) acting as mediating mechanisms. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted among 253 construction professionals and the collected data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The model evaluates the effects of three BIM-driven constructs data-driven urban development (DU), project delivery and resource utilization (PR), and energy-efficient design and collaboration (EC) on LMBS, both directly and indirectly through SDGs. The results reveal that BIM significantly improves lifecycle management outcomes, with project delivery and resource utilization (PR) exhibiting the strongest direct effect on LMBS (β = 0.595, p < 0.001). Furthermore, SDGs demonstrate a statistically significant mediating role, confirming that BIM’s impact on lifecycle sustainability is effectively transmitted through SDG-aligned pathways. The structural model explains a substantial proportion of variance in LMBS (R² = 0.719), indicating strong predictive capability. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical validation of BIM–SDG integration using a robust SEM framework, addressing the gap between digital construction technologies and sustainability performance. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to strategically embed BIM within SDG-oriented governance frameworks to enhance sustainable lifecycle management in rapidly urbanizing regions.