Integration of Life Cycle Assessment Tools in the Design Process of Low-Carbon Buildings

Given that more than 50% of the total UK carbon emissions are attributed to buildings,prognosticating, comprehensive, actively applicable tools are required to promptlycommission a step-change in building design and construction performance. Integrationof Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools such as BREEAM and BIM assists in designingand developing low-energy, sustainable buildings by providing a holistic perspective andapproach. This study performs a critical review of the energy and carbon LCA researchin the building sector in the UK since 2000. It proceeds with a comparative evaluation ofthree current Embodied Carbon LCA tools: Two BRE tools and SimaPro Software, anddiscusses the importance of the futuristic modes of LCA using BIM. Further, thisresearch establishes the influence of used tools on embodied carbon performance ofmain building elements of a case study building that is procured and is underconstruction on Heriot-Watt University Campus using BREEAM and BIM.