Dynamo script and a BIM-based process for measuring embodied carbon in buildings during the design phase

Abstract

In recent years, worldwide efforts have been made towards reducing energy use and emissions, which have a variety of impacts such as contributing to climate change. Hence, environmental analysis in the construction sector is essential today to develop good products that perform adequately, are safe, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. A significant emission from various stages in the building sector is carbon dioxide, which can be separated into two categories: embedded emissions and operating emissions. The aim of this paper is to introduce a simple tool integrated into a building information modelling (BIM)-based framework that provides an analysis of embodied carbon (related to the SE2050 commitment to net zero) in order to produce a manual to guide designers in selecting appropriate materials, systems and alternatives during the design phase of a construction project. The suggested integration procedure was carried out using Autodesk Revit (to produce the 3D model), Dynamo (a visual programming tool), and BIM360 (to link with), with good interoperability between each product. To finish, a case study was carried out to apply and validate this process and verify that the tool is ready to use. The results show that the maximum variance was 0.047, which supports developers’ environmental strategies, and enables clients and other stockholders to consider environmental impacts during the early phases of construction projects.