Recent progress in integrating BIM and LCA for sustainable construction: A Review

Ruchit Parekh 1, * and Dario Trabucco 2

1 Department of Engineering Management, Hofstra University, New York, USA.
2 Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
 
Review
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2024, 13(01), 907–932.
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2024.13.1.1772
Publication history: 
Received on 11 August 2024; revised on 17 September 2024; accepted on 20 October 2024
 
Abstract: 
The construction industry, characterized by high energy use and carbon emissions, necessitates a thorough and accurate life cycle assessment (LCA). This review investigates how building information modeling (BIM) software can streamline the LCA process to improve both efficiency and precision. Although BIM has considerable potential, challenges remain, such as issues with software interoperability and a lack of standardized options for BIM-integrated LCA tools. The review also evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of various BIM software, LCA tools, and energy consumption tools, and highlights case studies of BIM-LCA integration. It provides a critical analysis of methods and techniques for BIM-LCA integration and data exchange, including the import of bills of quantities, Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), the use of BIM viewers, direct LCA calculations with BIM plugins, and calculations using LCA plugins. The study concludes with future outlooks, aiming to direct the development of improved LCA tools that offer better integration with BIM software, which is crucial for advancing sustainable construction practices.
 
Keywords: 
Building Information Modeling (BIM); Life Cycle Assessment (LCA); Sustainable Construction; Software Interoperability; Data Exchange Techniques
 
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