A Review of BIM-based Intelligent Layout and Optimization of Concrete Formwork
Wanlong Tian *
School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450045, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Concrete formwork layout and resource allocation affect the efficiency, material consumption, and cost of cast-in-place construction. This review examines key factors in building information modelling (BIM)-based intelligent formwork layout and optimisation, including BIM and Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) information representation, formwork standardisation and modularization, forming-surface geometry and joint constraints, inventory and reuse, and combinatorial optimisation. Existing approaches are compared in terms of standard-panel coverage, planning efficiency, three-dimensional generation, and project-level resource allocation. The literature indicates that transforming component information into a computational forming-surface model provides the basis for automated layout, while component functions, dimensional modules, and connection constraints jointly determine feasibility. Rule-based computation, mathematical programming, and heuristic optimisation support detailing and resource combinations, but improvements in local coverage require evaluation alongside inventory, reuse, and labour input. Limitations remain in data interoperability, evaluation consistency, cross-project validation, and site feedback. Future work should develop common information models, benchmark cases, and multi-objective evaluation systems, and connect layout generation, three-dimensional verification, and construction feedback to support standardised engineering applications.
Keywords: Building information modeling, concrete formwork, intelligent layout, modularization, combinatorial optimization, formwork reuse