A Conceptual Framework for Estimating Building Embodied Carbon Based on Digital Twin Technology and Life Cycle Assessment

Chen Chen, Zengfeng Zhao, Jianzhuang Xiao and Robert Tiong
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Chen Chen: Department of Structural Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Zengfeng Zhao: Department of Structural Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Jianzhuang Xiao: Department of Structural Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Robert Tiong: School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-20

Abstract: Low-carbon building design requests an estimation of total embodied carbon as the environmental performance metric for comparison of different design options in early design stages. Due to a lack of consensus on the system boundaries in building life cycle assessment (LCA), the carbon estimation results obtained by the current methods are often disputable. In this regard, this paper proposes a method for estimating building embodied carbon based on digital twin technology and LCA. The proposed method is advantageous over others by providing (1) a cradle-to-cradle LCA and (2) an automated data communication between LCA and building information modelling (BIM) databases. Because data for the processes in the life cycle are collected via digital twin technology in a standard and consistent way, the obtained results will be considered credible. So far, a conceptual framework is developed based on a comprehensive literature review, which consists of three parts. In the first part, formulas for LCA are given. In the second part, a hybrid approach combining semantic web with a relational database for BIM and radio-frequency identification (RFID) integration is described. In the third part, how to design the LCA database and how to link LCA with BIM are described. The conceptual framework proposed is tested for its reasonableness by a small hypothetical case study.

Keywords: embodied carbon; early building design; life cycle assessment (LCA); digital twin; building information modeling (BIM) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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