A BIM Tool for Carbon Footprint Assessment of Building Design

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop a tool for assessing carbon footprints of a building in the design process using BIM technology. Life cycle assessment and carbon footprint assessment are the two basic criteria in evaluating the emission reduction of CO2e.International assessment standards have been established for mass-produced merchandise and organizational operations. However, the existing standards cannot directly disclose the hotspots of carbon footprints in the building life cycle. An assessment method concerning local climate, living culture, ecology and local construction style is required for building design. This research work presents a framework by which a BIM-enabled data visualization tool is developed to support the carbon disclosure in the building design process.