Carbon emission assessment during construction phase based on building information model (BIM) and life cycle assessment (LCA)

Abstract

In recent decades, the carbon emissions from building structures have posed a huge threat to the environment and to some extent contributed to global warming. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the most commonly used carbon emission assessment technique. However, this is a challenging task as the amount of data for a single material is enormous and difficult to process. A new method utilizing the latest computer technology has been proposed. This paper uses Building Information Model (BIM) and Revit software to establish a three-dimensional model of the structure. BIM can export and imply material information based on other platforms. This makes it possible to link BIM tools with lifecycle assessment by defining environmental data for each unit in the model. The entire process is divided into six stages. This article focuses on the calculation of carbon emissions during the construction phase and introduces a method that helps with early structural decision-making. Through case studies of existing buildings, the quantity of materials used in the building was analyzed, and the relationship between pre construction carbon emission factors and material quantity was solved.