An integrated building information modeling (BIM)-based lifecycle-oriented framework for sustainable building design

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 construction sector significantly contributes to environmental issues and often relies on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the quantification and optimization of its environmental impacts. One of the most time- and labour-intensive tasks in LCA is matching real elements (e.g., construction elements and materials) to suitable environmental datasets to get an idea of the element’s sustainability performance (emissions). In this regard, this study presents an open-access software tool that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to support the matching process between construction elements in Building Information Modelling (BIM) with corresponding environmental datasets in a semi-automatic manner. Developed in Python and using the GPT-4o mini model from OpenAI for its matching mechanism, the tool demonstrates how AI-driven digital innovation can improve efficiency, reduce manual effort, and enhance early-stage environmental assessment in construction planning, while integrating sustainability data into BIM workflows. Through a series of use cases, the software’s ability to address key challenges in the integration of BIM and LCA tools is demonstrated, showcasing a high degree of automation and interoperability. Moreover, the accessible design of the tool allows use without extensive technical knowledge. The conducted validation tests confirmed the tool’s potential for accurate LCA matching, highlighting opportunities for AI to enhance sustainability workflows while offering BIM experts a better understanding of the challenges in sustainability assessment.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a revolutionary stride of technology in the orthodox construction and procedures in conventional Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry which is stressed upon for its delay on embracing new technologies. The strength of BIM has been disvalued in the eyes of many professionals, to think of BIM as just another ‘software’ which is in reality, a ‘process’ of attaining an outstanding collaboration among each and every stakeholder throughout a project’s life cycle. Hence, the philosophy of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in a construction project can be achieved effectively with the BIM’s promise of flexible and transparent interaction among Construction Supply Chain (CSC) contributors. However, the complexities in CSC of a conservative setup has been more composite with the intervention of BIM. Consequently, the BIM project stakeholders have encountered complications on the effective application of BIM on CSC while reaching the envisioned goals of BIM. Thus, the intention of this study is to develop a foreseeable information flow model related to construction supply chain in a BIM aided project. In order to attain the aim, an extensive literature synthesis was piloted to develop a conceptual informational flow model among CSC stakeholders of a BIM project. This contemporary research outlines that the CSC of a BIM project is much interactive and flexible with its collaborative effort of stakeholders when compared to the clashes among professionals in traditional setups. In a practical context, the roles and duties of BIM project stakeholders identified in BIM standards, have slightly differed due to real-world complications in construction industry. Besides that, BIM standards have laid down charismatic arrangements on information flows among BIM project stakeholders, which is in reality, a complex and random setup. Hence, the research outcome has successfully answered the complications by laying down guidelines for any outsider to the BIM field to recognise what would be the contribution of each stakeholder throughout the BIM project’s life cycle.

PurposeBecause of global environmental concerns, sustainable design has become a mainstream building design goal in recent years. Sustainable development is even more urgent in the light of global climate change. This paper aims to examine the contributions which building information modelling (BIM) can make to the production of sustainable building designs.Design/methodology/approachVarious research methodologies have been adopted, including literature review, design tool analysis, a case study and structured face‐to‐face interviews. Data collected were synthesized as part of the research process.FindingsBIM is found to be ideally suited to the delivery of information needed for improved design and building performance. Two most significant benefits of BIM for sustainable building design are: integrated project delivery (IPD) and design optimization. However, there are also barriers to adopting BIM for sustainable design.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper does not attempt to address all aspects of BIM functionality because the scope of BIM is very great and the resources of this research were limited.Practical implicationsSuccessful implementation of BIM is able to eliminate the extra cost of design changes during the subsequent phases of construction process. BIM, therefore, is also capable of enhancing the project delivery culture in future.Social implicationsBIM solutions can contribute to the selection of best solutions to reduce energy and resources consumption. This new technology and the approach also can generate the need of more innovative professionals and job opportunities.Originality/valueThis paper investigates the contribution of BIM to sustainable buildings from the perspective of design performance and improved communication and coordination.

Context The European Commission (EC) recognised Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as "the best framework for assessing the potential environmental impacts of products". It also identified "the need to improve data availability and quality worldwide by internationally cooperating on LCA data and methods". The life cycle approach is also part of the 2011 Communication on "A resource-efficient Europe – Flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 Strategy". To support these life cycle based EU policies, the EC has started the "European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment (EPCLA)"[1]services (e.g. consulting or research services), tools (e.g. LCA tools, ecodesign tools), databases (e.g. LCI databases) and the corresponding developers and providers. in 2005. This Platform is implemented and coordinated by the EC Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (JRC), Institute for Environment and Sustainability, in close collaboration with DG Environment. The Platform works on the basis of coherent and quality-assured life cycle data, methods, and studies. The LCA Resource Directory is one of the deliverables of the Platform. This application has been running since 2006 and it contains lists of Novelty The LCA Resource Directory has recently been further developed so that it can contain and organize LCA case studies and metadata on these studies. The new LCA Resource Directory will be launched during the Fall 2011. Methods The new functionalities of the LCA Resource Directory allow users (LCA expert and non-expert) to browse a database of LCA studies. Thanks to the searching tool, a user can sort the information available as metadata and identify relevant LCA studies according to his/her interests. Many of the fields of the template used to characterize LCA studies are based on the ISO 1404x series. Some fields of the template are mandatory (e.g. functional unit and system boundary) in order to assure that the information showed in the application fulfills most of the requirements of the ISO 14044 for reports to be disclosed to the public. Other fields of the template include: "Intended application(s)", "LCIA impact categories" and "Compliance". The LCA study has to be uploaded on the Directory. Moreover, a final verification step is performed by the web application administrator to ensure quality and consistency. The application is open worldwide (http://lca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/lcainfohub/directory.vm). Any research group, company, university, etc. is now able, after registration, to upload studies and give metadata on them using a template. DG JRC will be in charge of the maintenance of the application and will populate the Directory with the first set of studies during the Fall 2011. An open call to relevant research groups and institutions will be send in order to populate the Directory with registered users and studies. Conclusions With these new capabilities of the Resource Directory, the EPLCA makes progress in its aim of promoting life cycle thinking when making available to all kind of LCA practitioners a good quality database of LCA studies, together with a searching tool. [1] http://lct.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

Enabling Building Information Modeling (BIM) Practices in the Canadian Construction Industry: A case for an academic programIn today’s construction industry, we are seeing a growing number of complex and high qualityconstruction projects all around the world using the BIM process. In order to get the most benefitout of BIM, there is a dire need for standards and efficient educational programs and courses totrain skilled professionals to support the implementation of BIM in the construction industry.Based on a preliminary environmental scan, there is a huge gap between industry BIM needs andavailable training/educational programs to facilitate effective implementation of BIM.Construction education needs to fill the gaps in BIM training for industry to remain current,responsive and relevant. Although an increasing number of educational institutions offeringarchitecture, engineering and construction programs have initiated to offer BIM related courses,there is no comprehensive curriculum developed by local academia to address the BIM relatedtraining needs of the construction industry in Alberta. Several researches and case studiesadvocate that industry stakeholders can use BIM technologies to save time and cost, whileimproving building quality. Integrating BIM collaboratively among stakeholders will also boostcompetitiveness and productivity in the building industry.BIM enables team collaboration, assisting project managers to more reliably communicateproject’s intent to all stakeholders in a timely fashion. It is therefore important for industry andacademic institutions to work collaboratively in order to understand the level and skillsetrequired for effective implementation of BIM practices in the industry.The paper aims to review the current state of BIM training programs; consult and solicitfeedback with various stakeholders with respect to training; and recommend appropriate trainingprograms that provides industry professionals with the fundamental skills and knowledge ofprinciples, terminologies, tools, and techniques related to BIM practices. The research utilizes aqualitative methodology to capture stakeholder’s experiences and understanding differentperspectives on BIM practices in the industry. The study suggests that a BIM certificate will helptraining our professionals better to address the needs of BIM practices in the constructionindustry. There is a dire need for a certificate program that provides the required skillset toproduce career ready professionals for enabling BIM practices in the construction industry. Thestudy findings would be of interest to BIM experts, construction professionals, and facultyinvolved with BIM education.

Malaysia is progressing into Industry Revolution (IR) 4.0 which emphasizes more onto digital, data and artificial intelligence where everything is expected to be automated. However, cost tends to be a major issue at the pioneer stage of embracing technology where Building Information Modelling (BIM) for example tends to be a cost tussle for the current construction industry. Yet, research has shown that BIM is arguably one of the technology platforms in combating the costing issue considering that BIM enables 3D model elements to link to cost and auto-generate quantities which potentially achieve cost-effective project. Due to the conflicting perspectives of how BIM affects project cost issues, it is imperative to investigate the cost-related issues in implementing BIM in the project and to determine how BIM in general positively influences the overall project cost. Qualitative research is adopted in this study. A semi-structured interview was conducted among four professionals who employs BIM in their project. They consist of the assistant manager, senior manager and chief executive officer. The data collected is analysed by utilising Matrix Table for better organisation. The scope of the study is in the Selangor state in which the local construction industry had applied BIM in their construction industry up to the 3D stage. The results showed that the BIM implementation cost is not too burdensome as it is only a one-time cost and does not vary throughout the project period. In addition, the BIM influence on the overall cost of the project is beneficial to the industry. It improves workflow and cost management. In conclusion, BIM is beneficial to the construction industry in the long term. It is important to resolve the cost-related issues for implement BIM and hence, encourage the usage of BIM, especially in the IR 4.0 ecosystem.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a key technique to achieve green design. But it isn't applied widely because of its defects. In order to enhance the operability of LCA in green design, a LCA tool, named green product life cycle design (GPLCD) is described in this paper. The paper is divided into four sections: first, based on the analysis of the existing LCA method and the product design activities, the functional model of the LCA tool is built with IDEF0 methods. And then through analyzing the product and its life cycle activities, product's life cycle model is proposed and the functional unit class and process class are presented with object oriented design. Third, aimed to the problems of the data management of product's life cycle, product configuration management is integrated into GPLCD. Finally, a case on choosing material of impeller is given to testify how to use the LCA tool to support green design.

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of buildings is an important evaluation method for the environmental quality of a building and its impact on climate and environment. However, the efforts required are very high and cost-intensive. Whole-building LCAs are therefore usually only used as theoretical evidence after completion of a certified building. The potential for full environmental optimization in early project phases is therefore not used in practice. New digital planning methods such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) offer the possibility of integrating and linking much of the information required for a whole-building LCA when creating a digital building model, which should be incorporated by all participants in the planning right from the start. Technical, organizational and contractual prerequisites must be (further) developed so that a whole-building LCA can be applied earlier and more easily with the aid of the BIM method. Within the framework of this work, primarily issues and their technical improvements of the official German LCA database ÖKOBAUDAT and German green building certification systems BNB/DGNB are presented. Based on the open BIM standard of the IFC data model, current fundamentals will be examined to adapt ÖKOBAUDAT aiming to simplify BIM integrated calculation of whole-building LCAs. In this context, concrete recommendations for action to extend the IFC data model and ÖKOBAUDAT will be discussed.KeywordsWhole-building life cycle assessmentBuilding information modeling (BIM)Industry foundation classes (IFC)

Sustainable Design with BIM Facilitation in Project-based Learning

Purpose Infill materials play a pivotal role in determining buildings’ life cycle costing (LCC) and environmental impacts. International standards prescribe LCC and life cycle assessments (LCA) to assess materials’ economic and environmental sustainability. The existing methods of LCC and LCA are tedious and time-consuming, reducing their practical application. This study sought to integrate LCC and LCA with building information modeling (BIM) to develop a swift and efficient approach for evaluating the life cycle performance of infill materials. Design/methodology/approach The BIM model for a case study was prepared using Autodesk Revit®, and the study included four infill materials (lightweight aggregate concrete block (LECA), autoclaved cellular concrete (AAC), concrete masonry and bricks). LCC was conducted using Revit® and Autodesk Insight 360® to estimate costs incurred across different project phases. LCA was conducted using “One Click LCA®,” a BIM-based platform featuring a comprehensive material inventory. Carbon emissions, acidification, and eutrophication were chosen as environmental impact factors for LCA. Findings LECA was the preferred choice due to its lower cost and environmental impact. Its lifetime cost of $440,618 was 5.4% lower than bricks’, with 2.8% lower CO2 emissions than AAC’s, which were second-place options, respectively. LECA had 6.4 and 27% lower costs than concrete blocks, and AAC’s carbon emissions were 32 and 58% lower than concrete blocks and bricks, respectively. Originality/value BIM has been employed for life cycle analysis in existing literature, but its efficacy in evaluating the lifetime costs and environmental impacts of infill materials remains unexplored. The current study presents a BIM-based approach for conducting LCC and LCA of infill materials, facilitating informed decision-making during the planning phase and promoting sustainable construction practices.

More than traditional computer-aided design (CAD), Building Information Modeling (BIM) can include a lot of additional information about the various products and systems in the design. It was noticed that BIM had unbalanced applications among different types of construction. BIM has been shown to provide a significant cost savings to the design firms and clients by its use in residential construction. Yet, it has limited use on a very small number of industrial construction projects. Rather than performing a theoretical cost analysis on BIM usage to prove that it could save project cost, this paper explores the specific benefits that BIM provides from an industry perspective, and see how they would translate to the industrial construction sector. To do this, BIM users in industrial and commercial construction are surveyed. The first-hand survey results revealed that the two biggest benefits to BIM are clash detection and the large amount of information it can provide to the entire stakeholder in the project. Comparing these benefits to the current practices used in the industrial engineering and construction field leads to the conclusion that, BIM usage is probably not worth the cost investment for these firms. There are some additional considerations as to why including BIM capabilities in a company’s profile would be a good option, but cost savings is not the most important.

This article examines the role of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in advancing sustainability in the construction industry, emphasizing its application as a strategic tool to reduce waste generation and optimize resources throughout project life cycles. The integration of BIM with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and circular economy practices has yielded significant results, including reductions of up to 30% in carbon emissions and material waste in large-scale projects. Additionally, BIM facilitates continuous monitoring and predictive adjustments, enhancing efficiency and precision in project planning and execution. Despite challenges related to system interoperability and the need for workforce training, BIM emerges as a catalyst for industry transformation, aligning it with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study underscores the importance of investing in research and technological innovation to expand BIM adoption and achieve higher sustainability standards in construction.

Introduction. The article focuses on the problems and prospects of building information modelling (BIM) technologies development in the construction industry of the country, valid development strategies, BIM technologies implementation and influence in the construction industry. It has been proved that creation of a digital twin of a construction facility at the design stage ensures its efficient management at the construction as well as operational stages. By studying BIM technologies legal regulation framework the possibilities of their use by the construction organisations have been outlined. The stages of the capital construction facilities life cycle have been defined, the categories of companies using BIM technologies in designing and construction practices have been specified. The aim of the study is to identify the problems hindering implementation of information modeling technologies in the construction industry of the Russian Federation and to propose solutions through automation of all processes at different stages of the capital construction facility life cycle.Materials and Methods. There are plenty of factors directly and indirectly affecting the time period of BIM implementation in the construction industry: the role of the state, the existing construction philosophy and many others. Considerable progress can be observed in the Scandinavian countries, in Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, France. The leading positions belong to the USA and Great Britain. But even in these countries it would be wrong to speak about complete implementation of BIM in the construction industry. In the Russian Federation the UK experience of BIM technologies implementation in the construction industry is used. For the UK authorities the main outcome of the information technologies implementation is maximum transparency of budget spending and control of construction costs. Therefore, all state construction projects are executed using the information modeling technologies. Russia has partly adopted the foreign countries experience in its construction industry – according to the Government Regulation No. 331 the design of all capital buildings and structures under the federal and regional orders must be carried out using an information model; and the package of materials to be included into an information model and general rules for its formation are regulated by the Russian Federation Government Regulation No. 1431, put into effect earlier.Results. In the Russian Federation the implementation of BIM technologies in the construction industry is regulated by the following regulatory documents: the Urban Planning Code of the Russian Federation, the Russian Federation Government Regulations, National Standards of the Russian Federation (GOST) and Codes of Practices (SP), Methodological Guidelines and Requirements for the State Expert Appraisal of Design Documentation and assessment of the information model. One should refer to the regulatory documents available on the official websites such as websites of the National Association of Organisations in the field of Information Modelling Technology (NOTIM), National Designers and Surveyors Association (NOPRIZ), as well as the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation (Minstroy of Russia). On the whole BIM technologies in Russia are underdeveloped. BIM technologies are practically not used at the stages of construction and operation.Discussion and Conclusions. Building information modeling is more than just a new way of designing. This is a fundamentally different view on the facility life cycle management (building, installation of equipment, operation and maintenance and repairs). BIM technologies implementation in the construction sector is a long and controversial process. Sufficient time is required to optimise and set up the information technologies application in all areas of construction and operation. This work resulted in working through and finding solutions to the main problems of implementing the information modeling in construction: as follows from the foreign countries experience the acceleration of BIM technologies implementation in Russia should begin with strengthening the legislative framework via drawing up the national standards and technical regulations upon the initiative of the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation.

This research was designed to assess the significance of using Building Information Modeling (BIM) standards to enhance efficiency in the Qatari construction industry. The need for more efficient processes arose in part from the Qatari government’s increased level of investment in infrastructure and the accompanying desire to secure the country’s 2030 vision. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the Qatari construction industry. Three questions guided this research: (i) What are the current challenges facing the Qatari construction industry in the smooth deliverance of projects?” (ii) “What strategies does the industry use in the promotion of an integrated business model that is technological centric?” (iii) “What are the possible challenges that the industry would face if it were to adopt BIM as a standard for all projects in the Qatari construction industry?” The outcome of the research shows that using BIM as a standard could not reduce the inefficiencies faced by the industry. While the respondents to the survey had realised that the industry had challenges, the implementation of BIM seemed not to be in line with the difficulties experienced in the industry. This finding was supported by a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.001 for many survey questions. While the industry could be using BIM in general, it still does not form part of the strategy to promote collaborative working. The research did not emphasise the process of implementing BIM standards because most contracts did not require the use of BIM; neither do regulators. The research highlights the challenges of implementing BIM as a standard in a modern construction industry that is facing inefficiency. Even though clients have the capacity to apply innovative strategies, they are stifled by complex business structures and processes. Inefficient delivery of facilities raises questions about the management structures used by the industry. With a large expatriate workforce, Qatar needs systematic tools and approaches such as BIM for managing construction processes regardless of the level of experience and exposure of its managers. Adopting BIM could significantly improve working relations on projects. The research shows that the construction industry would require a standardised BIM process if companies were to deliver on their targets. There is value in adopting tools and techniques that would enhance collaborative tendencies by professionals working in the industry. However, the overall strategy to implement a standardised BIM approach would initially exacerbate current problems before it could bring forth improvements to the construction process.