Holistic views of all environmental impacts for buildings such as Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are rarely performed. Building services are mostly included in this assessment only in a simplified way, which means that their embodied impacts are usually underestimated. Open Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) provide for significantly more efficient and comprehensive LCA performance. This study investigated how building services can be included in an open BIM-integrated whole-building LCA for the first time, identified challenges and showed six solution approaches. Based on the definition of 222 exchange requirements and their mapping with IFC, an example BIM model was modeled before the linking of 7312 BIM objects of building services with LCA data that were analyzed in an LCA tool. The results show that 94.5% of the BIM objects could only be linked by applying one of the six solution approaches. The main problems were due to: (1) modeling by a lack of standardization of attributes of BIM objects; (2) difficult machine readability of the building services LCA datasets as well as a general lack of these; and (3) non-standardized properties of building services and LCA specific dataset information in the IFC data format.
The new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 2018 and the GebäudeEnergieGesetz (GEG) tightened the requirements for energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources in buildings at EU and national levels. Environmental impacts from manufacturing, dismantling and recycling of buildings are not taken into account. Green Building Certification Systems, such as the DGNB or BNB systems, are therefore the only ones that (voluntarily) set holistic, ecological requirements for buildings. Based on a Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment, the entire building life cycle and its environmental effects are evaluated. While building services in this context are usually only included in such a simplified approach, the full scope of the produced environmental impacts are underestimated and misjudged for the reduction of emissions and other environmental impacts. This publication uses the results of a life cycle assessment of a typical office building (in Germany) to show the amount of influence building services have on environmental impacts of buildings. Furthermore the study shows an approach how the very high pro-curement and calculation effort of LCA can be reduced by linking the Building Information Modelling (BIM) Method and LCA models to enable a significantly more efficient and easier calculation process, es-pecially for building services.
Digitalization is accelerating and changing much in our lifestyles and ways of working. In the construction and building sector, this phenomenon is currently gaining acceptance through the Building Information Modeling (BIM) method. As an integral planning method for improving the quality of planning, construction and operating processes, BIM requires a starting point that is defined by demand planning. This paper focuses on recording demand planning digitally and generating it autonomously for basic planning. The aim is to provide planners with a BIM model that is generated early from user-oriented needs with in-depth information and enables considering sustainable and health planning aspects in the future. As a result, BIM and the open BIM data exchange format Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) are used to create a BIM-Model (3D Model) based on user needs, which are recorded by a web application. Thereby planners will be provided with a valuable starting and orientation basis that considers important user requirements. In doing so, maximum user satisfaction and quality will be achieved. Furthermore, communication and participation of users in the planning process will be promoted.
The life cycle assessment (LCA) of buildings is an important evaluation method for the environmental quality of buildings and their impact on climate and environment. However, this method is time-consuming and cost intensive. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has a high potential to integrate LCA into day-to-day planning. This research project aims to form the basis for BIM (semi) automation of whole building LCA by enabling the integration of LCA data using the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The DIN EN 15804 compliant and open access ÖKOBAUDAT is used as the database for LCA data. As a result, a BIM-LCA framework is proposed that includes the development of an Information Delivery Manual (IDM) describing the LCA according to a German assessment system for sustainable buildings (BNB). Based on this, a Model View Definition (MVD) is developed, which defines the software subset of an IFC data model to meet the exchange requirements (ER) for a whole building LCA. Solution approaches for adapting LCA databases and IFC 4 are presented. Finally, a first prototypical implementation of these results for the (semi) automation of whole building LCA is developed. In summary, the proposed IDM and MVD enable identifying the information exchange required to perform an LCA within a BIM-based environment. They also provide the background knowledge to develop a BIM tool to perform an LCA based on the framework proposed. Thereby, this research project contributes to achieve higher environmental quality of buildings by combining sustainable and digital planning methods.
The construction and building sector, responsible for 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions, is undergoing a fundamental digital transformation enabled by Building Information Modelling (BIM). Integrating life cycle assessment (LCA) in digital building design processes enables early evaluation of embodied impacts. This connection offers opportunities to generate predictive parameters to efficiently use environmental optimization potentials. The aim of this study was to investigate current barriers and incentives for practitioners to use LCA in combination with BIM in practice in Germany. Based on criteria identified in a systematic literature review, a survey amongst 161 practitioners is conducted, analysing five different user profiles. The evaluated criteria are added value, perception of relevance, intention, age, data availability, standardization, external demand and usability. The results present a recognised added value of integrating LCA in BIM from the perspective of all user profiles. Currently, measures in a political and social context have higher potentials, i. e. are more urgent to implement, than measures in the information technology context, whereas priorities vary depending on user profiles. The greatest drivers are external demand and pressure in forms of stricter political requirements and more demand from the public-sector. The presented insights, trends and need for action can support implementing procedures for achieving the urgent climate goals of the construction sector strategically through digital transformation.
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