Generative AI in Construction 4.0: Systems Thinking, Interdisciplinary Use Cases, and Socio-Technical Opportunities for Industry Transformation
DETAILS
Call for Papers
Generative AI in Construction 4.0: Systems Thinking, Interdisciplinary Use Cases, and Socio-Technical Opportunities for Industry Transformation
JOURNAL : Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management
PUBLISHER: Emerald Publishing
SUBMISSION OPENS: 01 February 2026
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 30 June 2026
ABOUT THIS SPECIAL ISSUE
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) within the emergent socio-technical paradigm of Construction 4.0 has become a disruptive innovation. Generative computational frameworks — including probabilistic design synthesis, topology optimisation, natural language-driven information modelling, and autonomous decision-support architectures — are now entering operational domains traditionally governed by human expert judgment.
The assimilation of GenAI into the construction sector presents a confluence of opportunities and perturbations that necessitate rigorous scholarly inquiry. This special issue represents the first sustained examination of GenAI in construction from a broader perspective within the conceptual and operational setting of Construction 4.0, framed through the principles of systems thinking.
Previous research has tended to focus on discrete technical applications — such as automated design or project scheduling — but has rarely addressed the broader, interconnected picture. This special issue is concerned not only with what these technologies can do, but with how they interact with and may influence the organisational, professional, and social dimensions of the construction sector.
The approach taken is deliberately integrative — advances in generative design, scheduling, costing, risk management, probabilistic modelling, and data-informed decision systems are considered within the governance structures, management practices, and industry cultures in which they are embedded.
SCOPE & THEME AREAS
We invite submissions addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:
🔹 Systems Thinking for GenAI in Construction
Multi-scalar dynamics of adoption, adaptation, and diffusion of GenAI in construction
Feedback loops between technology, organisations, and industry transformation
🔹 Generative AI Use Cases, Models, and Frameworks for Construction
Topology optimisation and performance-driven design in construction
Natural language-driven information modelling
Autonomous decision-support architectures in construction contexts
🔹 Generative AI in Interdisciplinary Applications Across the Construction Supply Chain
Computational design automation and parametric/generative BIM workflows
Predictive resource allocation and project optimisation
AI-enhanced safety analytics and risk management
Sustainability-oriented optimisation of materials, energy, and processes
Codification and formalisation of expert knowledge
🔹 Generative AI Applications in Built Environment Pedagogy and Research
GenAI-assisted teaching and learning design applications
GenAI support for tutors, virtual assistants, coding, and chatbots
Evaluations and assessment tools using GenAI
Research and academic integrity in the context of GenAI tools
🔹 Generative AI and Socio-Technical Transformations in Construction Systems
Shifts in collaborative ecologies and inter-organisational workflows
Reconfiguration of epistemic labour and competency architectures
Evolving decision-making logistics within project delivery
🔹 Cross-Disciplinary Insights in Trust, Ethics, and Responsible AI in Construction
Contributions from civil engineering, architecture, and construction informatics
Organisational studies and governance theory perspectives
Ethics of automation, responsibility, and governance of AI
Epistemological trust in generative systems for construction applications
GUEST EDITORS
Dr. Temitope Omotayo ✉️ Contact via journal submission system
Prof. Bankole Awuzie ✉️ Contact via journal submission system
Prof. Anil Sawhney ✉️ Contact via journal submission system
KEY DEADLINES & DATES
Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
Submissions Open | 01 February 2026 |
Submission Deadline | 30 June 2026 |
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
How to submit: Manuscripts must be submitted via ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ciipm
Author guidelines: Must be strictly followed. Full guidelines available at: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/ci#jlp_author_guidelines
Selecting the special issue: At the appropriate submission step, authors must select the special issue title from the drop-down menu in response to "Please select the issue you are submitting to."
Eligibility: Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication elsewhere while under review.
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