A BIM-based conceptual framework for embodied carbon assessment

Hunt, James; Osorio-Sandoval, Carlos A

Abstract

Understanding the integration of BIM as an enabling factor in embodied carbon (EC) assessment is becoming exponentially vital as the global climate crisis accelerates. This paper introduces a BIM-based conceptual framework to quantify the EC of a building, enabling informed design decisions early into a project's development. A comprehensive review of existing literature on EC assessment techniques was conducted to identify current gaps. Based on this review and the background theory, a conceptual framework was proposed for EC assessment within a BIM environment. The framework was developed using the design science research (DSR) approach, focusing on the first three stages: problem identification, contextualising the problem within existing body of knowledge and proposing a solution to address the problem domain. The framework lays the groundwork for the development of tools that integrate EC assessment into BIM workflows, which has the potential to provide quick assessment at the design stage where key decisions are made.

Citation

Hunt, J., & Osorio-Sandoval, C. A. (2023, August). A BIM-based conceptual framework for embodied carbon assessment. Presented at 20th International Conference on Sustainable Energy Technologies – SET 2023, Nottingham, UK

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: 20th International Conference on Sustainable Energy Technologies – SET 2023
• Start Date: Aug 15, 2023
• End Date: Aug 17, 2023
• Acceptance Date: Jul 17, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Mar 13, 2024
• Publication Date: Aug 15, 2023
• Deposit Date: Mar 18, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 24, 2024
• Volume: 1
• Pages: 387-394
• Book Title: SET2023 : 20th International Conference on Sustainable Energy Technologies 15th to 17th August 2023, Nottingham, UK: Sustainable Energy Technologies 2023 Conference Proceedings. Volume 1
• Chapter Number: 74
• ISBN: 9780853583578
• Keywords: embodied carbon; building information modelling; embodied carbon assessment; design science research 388
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/32739906
• Publisher URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/31448392
• Related Public URLs: https://set2023.org/