Integrasjon av bærekraft i byggeprosjekter: Et rammeverk for LCA implementering i tidlige prosjekteringsfaser

Abstract

In recent years, sustainability has become a paramount focus in the construction industry, particularly in the realm of building design and construction. This thesis addresses the challenge of aligning sustainability objectives with financial constraints during the selection of structural materials in the early stages of project design. Existing studies often overlook the integration of additional design requirements, which may impact both sustainability and financial viability. This research aims to bridge this gap by developing a framework that incorporates life cycle assessments (LCA) into low level of detail (LOD) building information modelling (BIM) models.

The primary objective of this thesis is to facilitate the early integration of sustainability principles, by developing a framework utilising conceptual modelling strategies, BIM data and sustainability assessments. This framework makes it possible to perform sustainability assessment even for low LOD models, typically available in an early design stage. The assesses case study, proved the developed framework to effectively generate meaningful analyses, even with minimal input data.

Through comparative analysis of different input variables, including structural materials and design requirements such as fire and acoustics, the thesis uncovers trends and insights into the economic feasibility of sustainability of different solutions. The findings indicate that acoustic requirements have a greater influence on the necessity of additional build-ups than fire requirements. While build-ups can enhance performance, increasing structural material is often equally or more effective, particularly for denser materials.

Overall, this thesis demonstrates that integrating conceptual modelling with a BIM database is a powerful approach for early-stage project design, enabling the prediction of emissions and costs with minimal input. The developed framework highlights the importance of early consideration of sustainability and design requirements, contributing to more sustainable and economically viable building practices.