Advanced digital solutions for construction waste management: A 4D BIM integrated scenario analysis

Construction generates substantial material waste with environmental and economic impacts, yet current methods rarely integrate waste estimation with project schedules. This study develops and validates semi-automated 4D BIM framework that links element-level quantities to standardized resource specifications — CSI MasterFormat and the Iranian Cost Estimation Standard (ICES) — and propagates material-specific waste factors into a time-phased (Autodesk Navisworks Timeliner) analysis. Two custom applications (“Material-DB” and “Waste-Estimation”) import ICES items, map them to MasterFormat codes, compute waste by unit (area/volume/mass), and populate BIM parameters that are visualized over the construction programme. A municipal office project in Tehran (≈6800 m2, four floors) is used for validation. BIM-based estimates align with observed site waste within ≤17% deviation across key streams (e.g., concrete −7.6%, masonry −14.0%, tiles +8.0%, iron −16.7%), with concrete waste peaking early during foundations and primary envelopes. Five design/material scenarios demonstrate how the method supports fast scenario testing and cost appraisal; for example, Scenario 3 yields the lowest waste cost, whereas Scenarios 5 and 2 are highest. The framework enables schedule-aware waste planning, targeted design changes (e.g., exterior wall systems, stone/tile use), and routine waste audits, offering a replicable path towards time-cost-waste trade-off decisions in early project phases.