DECISION-MAKING APPROACHES IN BUILDING MAINTENANCE: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW OF GLOBAL TRENDS AND METHODS

Abstract

The growing complexity of building assets and infrastructure has intensified the need for structured and data-driven decision-making approaches in maintenance management. Despite increasing research attention, the literature on how decision-making methods are applied in building maintenance remains fragmented and lacks a comprehensive synthesis of global trends and thematic directions. This bibliometric analysis aims to map and evaluate the research landscape of decision-making approaches in building maintenance using a systematic data-driven methodology. A total of 532 relevant documents published between year 2000 until October 2025 were retrieved from the Scopus database using keyword searches including "decision making," "multi-criteria decision making (MCDM)," "building maintenance," and "infrastructure maintenance." The data was analyzed using Scopus analyzer to identify publication trends, top contributing countries, authors, and journals. OpenRefine was utilized to clean and standardize the data, ensuring consistency in author names, keywords, and affiliations. VOSviewer software was employed to visualize co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, and country collaborations, generating comprehensive knowledge maps that reveal the intellectual and thematic structure of the field. The findings indicate a significant increase in research output over the last decade, with notable contributions from countries such as the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. Key thematic clusters identified include multi-criteria decision models, digital technologies such as BIM and digital twins, and sustainability-driven maintenance strategies. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by highlighting research hotspots, influential contributors, and emerging themes, offering valuable insights for academics, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to enhance decision-making in building maintenance through structured and technology-supported approaches.