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BIM and LCA Integration: A Systematic Literature Review

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  • Tajda Potrč Obrecht

    (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia)

  • Martin Röck

    (Working Group Sustainable Construction, Graz University of Technology, Waagner-Biro-Straße 100, 8020 Graz, Austria
    Architectural Engineering, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering Science, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 1, 3001 Leuven, Belgium)

  • Endrit Hoxha

    (Working Group Sustainable Construction, Graz University of Technology, Waagner-Biro-Straße 100, 8020 Graz, Austria)

  • Alexander Passer

    (Working Group Sustainable Construction, Graz University of Technology, Waagner-Biro-Straße 100, 8020 Graz, Austria)

Abstract

To foster sustainable development, the environmental impacts of the construction sector need to be reduced substantially. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the established methodology for the quantification of environmental impacts, and therefore has been increasingly applied to assess the environmental performance of buildings. By coupling LCAs with digital design tools, e.g., building information modeling (BIM), the identification of environmental hotspots and their mitigation is possible during the design process. The objective of the study is to identify the current integration approaches, and determine the pros and cons of the integration process from different viewpoints, namely, technical, informational, organizational and functional issues. Therefore, a comprehensive systematic literature review (SLR) was performed. We identified 60 relevant BIM-LCA case studies and analyzed the applied BIM-LCA workflows in detail. A total of 16 of the reviewed studies applied LCA during the early design stage. These studies used a manual or semiautomatic data exchange between the BIM models and LCA tools. In most cases, contemporary BIM-LCA workflows utilized conventional spreadsheets (e.g., Excel sheets in 16 cases). However, the analysis shows that an automated link between LCA and BIM can be achieved when overcoming the technical, organizational and informational issues discussed in the paper. This could enable the streamlining of LCA applications in design practice, and thus support the necessary improvements in the environmental performance of buildings.

Suggested Citation

  • Tajda Potrč Obrecht & Martin Röck & Endrit Hoxha & Alexander Passer, 2020. "BIM and LCA Integration: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:14:p:5534-:d:382171
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Sungwoo Lee & Sungho Tae & Seungjun Roh & Taehyung Kim, 2015. "Green Template for Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings Based on Building Information Modeling: Focus on Embodied Environmental Impact," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Kun Lu & Xiaoyan Jiang & Vivian W. Y. Tam & Mengyun Li & Hongyu Wang & Bo Xia & Qing Chen, 2019. "Development of a Carbon Emissions Analysis Framework Using Building Information Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment for the Construction of Hospital Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-18, November.
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    1. Elisabetta Palumbo & Bernardette Soust-Verdaguer & Carmen Llatas & Marzia Traverso, 2020. "How to Obtain Accurate Environmental Impacts at Early Design Stages in BIM When Using Environmental Product Declaration. A Method to Support Decision-Making," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-24, August.
    2. Bernardette Soust-Verdaguer & Elisabetta Palumbo & Carmen Llatas & Álvaro Velasco Acevedo & María Dolores Fernández Galvéz & Endrit Hoxha & Alexander Passer, 2023. "The Use of Environmental Product Declarations of Construction Products as a Data Source to Conduct a Building Life-Cycle Assessment in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-20, January.
    3. Robert Karaszewski & Paweł Modrzyński & Gözde Türkmen Müldür & Jacek Wójcik, 2021. "Blockchain Technology in Life Cycle Assessment—New Research Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Agnieszka Leśniak & Monika Górka & Izabela Skrzypczak, 2021. "Barriers to BIM Implementation in Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Projects—The Polish Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-20, April.
    5. Marie Nehasilová & Antonín Lupíšek & Petra Lupíšková Coufalová & Tomáš Kupsa & Jakub Veselka & Barbora Vlasatá & Julie Železná & Pavla Kunová & Martin Volf, 2022. "Rapid Environmental Assessment of Buildings: Linking Environmental and Cost Estimating Databases," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-20, September.
    6. Regitze Kjær Zimmermann & Simone Bruhn & Harpa Birgisdóttir, 2021. "BIM-Based Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings—An Investigation of Industry Practice and Needs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-21, May.
    7. Marco Scherz & Antonija Ana Wieser & Alexander Passer & Helmuth Kreiner, 2022. "Implementation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the Procurement Process of Buildings: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-22, December.
    8. Adetayo Onososen & Innocent Musonda & Motheo Meta Tjebane, 2022. "Drivers of BIM-Based Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Buildings: An Interpretive Structural Modelling Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-21, September.
    9. Bernardette Soust-Verdaguer & José Antonio Gutiérrez Moreno & Carmen Llatas, 2023. "Utilization of an Automatic Tool for Building Material Selection by Integrating Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment in the Early Design Stages in BIM," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, January.
    10. Chen Chen & Zengfeng Zhao & Jianzhuang Xiao & Robert Tiong, 2021. "A Conceptual Framework for Estimating Building Embodied Carbon Based on Digital Twin Technology and Life Cycle Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-20, December.
    11. Tiziano Dalla Mora & Erika Bolzonello & Carmine Cavalliere & Fabio Peron, 2020. "Key Parameters Featuring BIM-LCA Integration in Buildings: A Practical Review of the Current Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-33, September.
    12. Jakub Veselka & Marie Nehasilová & Karolína Dvořáková & Pavla Ryklová & Martin Volf & Jan Růžička & Antonín Lupíšek, 2020. "Recommendations for Developing a BIM for the Purpose of LCA in Green Building Certifications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-17, July.
    13. Kai Xue & Md. Uzzal Hossain & Meng Liu & Mingjun Ma & Yizhi Zhang & Mengqiang Hu & XiaoYi Chen & Guangyu Cao, 2021. "BIM Integrated LCA for Promoting Circular Economy towards Sustainable Construction: An Analytical Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-21, January.
    14. Rafael Horn & Sebastian Ebertshäuser & Roberta Di Bari & Olivia Jorgji & René Traunspurger & Petra von Both, 2020. "The BIM2LCA Approach: An Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)-Based Interface to Integrate Life Cycle Assessment in Integral Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-30, August.
    15. Ian Vázquez-Rowe & Cristina Córdova-Arias & Xavier Brioso & Sandra Santa-Cruz, 2021. "A Method to Include Life Cycle Assessment Results in Choosing by Advantage (CBA) Multicriteria Decision Analysis. A Case Study for Seismic Retrofit in Peruvian Primary Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    16. Javier Orozco-Messana & Milagro Iborra-Lucas & Raimon Calabuig-Moreno, 2021. "Neighbourhood Modelling for Urban Sustainability Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-10, April.
    17. Kitti Ajtayné Károlyfi & János Szép, 2023. "A Parametric BIM Framework to Conceptual Structural Design for Assessing the Embodied Environmental Impact," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-23, August.
    18. Vladimir Yadykin & Sergey Barykin & Vladimir Badenko & Nikolai Bolshakov & Elena de la Poza & Alexander Fedotov, 2021. "Global Challenges of Digital Transformation of Markets: Collaboration and Digital Assets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-16, September.
    19. Luka Adanič & Sara Guerra de Oliveira & Andrej Tibaut, 2021. "BIM and Mechanical Engineering—A Cross-Disciplinary Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-17, April.
    20. Jan Růžička & Jakub Veselka & Zdeněk Rudovský & Stanislav Vitásek & Petr Hájek, 2022. "BIM and Automation in Complex Building Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-20, February.
    21. Roberto Giordano & Federica Gallina & Benedetta Quaglio, 2021. "Analysis and Assessment of the Building Life Cycle. Indicators and Tools for the Early Design Stage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, June.
    22. Ahmad Jrade & Farnaz Jalaei & Jieying Jane Zhang & Saeed Jalilzadeh Eirdmousa & Farzad Jalaei, 2023. "Potential Integration of Bridge Information Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment/Life Cycle Costing Tools for Infrastructure Projects within Construction 4.0: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-25, October.
    23. Yasser Yahya Al-Ashmori & Idris Othman & Al-Hussein M. H. Al-Aidrous, 2022. "“Values, Challenges, and Critical Success Factors” of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Malaysia: Experts Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, March.
    24. Juan Francisco Fernández Rodríguez, 2023. "Sustainable Design Protocol in BIM Environments: Case Study of 3D Virtual Models of a Building in Seville (Spain) Based on BREEAM Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-29, March.

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