An Integrated Building Information Modeling and Life-Cycle Assessment Approach to Facilitate Design Decisions on Sustainable Building Projects in Canada

Parsa Namaki, Bhavya Sree Vegesna, Saeide Bigdellou (), Ruizhi Chen and Qian Chen
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Parsa Namaki: School of Project Management, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
Bhavya Sree Vegesna: School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
Saeide Bigdellou: School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
Ruizhi Chen: School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
Qian Chen: School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-23

Abstract: In the context of the digital and sustainable transformation of building projects, the integrated approach of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) has been widely studied. Recent advancements in such integrated modeling processes and techniques have not yet provided reliable and robust decision-making capabilities for designers to intuitively choose between material alternatives. This study develops a new design framework that integrates BIM, LCA, and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) algorithms to facilitate sustainable design processes in building projects. A case study using a single-family housing project in the British Columbia province of Canada was implemented to test the designs to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed integrated framework, including a three-way comparison of design scenarios—conventional hot-roll steel, recycled steel, and timber. The results indicate a significant performance improvement with the adoption of recycled structural steel materials, surpassing conventional steel designs and demonstrating a similar performance to that of timber designs. The study underscores the importance of informed decision-making in material selection, driven by the quantitative analysis of digital designs and multi-criteria evaluation (e.g., social carbon cost). This integrated framework offers a valuable tool for designers, engineers, and builders to achieve sustainability when designing building projects through the systematic and rapid comparison of environmental performance.

Keywords: building information modeling; life-cycle assessment; multi-criteria decision-making; sustainable building design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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