Examining the decision criteria on BIM-LCA: A case study
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Abstract
The mainstay of the extant literature on BIM-LCA has concentrated on comparing two materials for building elements and selecting the most environmentally friendly option based on the quantitative results from the LCA analysis. This current approach, while useful, raises issues about its robustness, necessitating a critical analysis of the decision criteria and areas for improvement. Therefore, this study examines the BIM-LCA decision-making process to identify gaps for improvement. A case study approach was used, which focused on multiple flooring systems in an office building in Sydney. Revit, as a BIM tool, was used to model the design and the Tally® BIM plug-in application based on Sydney climatic data was used to perform TRACI LCA analysis. The results revealed that hardwood flooring systems performed well against the nylon-based carpet in some environmental impacts indicators (EIIs), i.e., global warming potential (7673.5 < 11159.18 Kg CO₂eq), ozone depletion (-2.9767E-07 < 4.63E-04 kg CFC-11eq), and renewable energy (177882.42> 5,766 MJ). Whilst nylon-based carpet performed better than hard finishes in other EIIs, i.e., acidification (37.5357 < 66.5156 SO₂eq), eutrophication (7.26639 < 7.34547 kg Neq), smog formation (465.1< 1355.75 Kg O₃eq) and non-renewable energy demand (185,720 <198251 MJ). The results show an inconclusive basis for decision-making. The findings led to discussing potential areas for improving the BIM-LCA decision-making process.
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