Integration of BIM and Chinese Architectural Heritage: A Bibliometric Analysis Research

The research on the application of BIM technology in architectural heritage is increasing. Building information modeling (BIM) makes the realization of architectural heritage assessment, design, and management systematic and effective. However, little is known about the use of China-based BIM in conjunction with architectural heritage. Therefore, this study conducted a systematic literature analysis to determine the application fields and development trends of BIM and architectural heritage research in China. A total of 186 articles were retrieved from CNKI, of which 167 met the inclusion criteria and formed the basis of this systematic literature analysis. With the aid of the literature research visualization analysis software VOSviewer and SATI, a comprehensive literature visualization analysis was carried out. It was determined that the hot fields of BIM research in architectural heritage in China are mainly focused on (a) the perspective of data acquisition and measurement technology, (b) the perspective of model construction based on point cloud data acquisition, and (c) the perspective of BIM model application. Future research trends may focus on the information research of architectural heritage, combined with the application of BIM technology in the whole life cycle management of architectural heritage and other aspects.