Analysis of the Tools for Evaluating Embodied Energy Through Building Information Modeling Tools: A Case Study of a Single-Unit Shell Building

Abstract

Today, the construction sector is largely responsible for climate change and global warming. The industry generates the largest carbon footprint and is also one of the least digitized industries in national economies. Faced with the challenge of reducing this carbon footprint, BIM is becoming an essential tool for building digital twins, which in turn makes it possible to calculate and track the carbon footprint over time for designed, constructed, and existing buildings. Semantically rich databases such as BIM make it possible to record the past, present, and future states of buildings and infrastructure facilities. To date, primary research using the free and popular UrbanBIM tool has been conducted on ready-made models, e.g., a previously prepared piece of space. In this secondary study, a specific pre-designed shell building in the BIM environment was examined, and the embedded carbon footprint was calculated for it. The calculated result of 76.35 tons of CO₂ provides an overview of the solutions used and an analysis of the various elements in terms of their environmental impact. The results of the study indicate a growing need to automate the modeling of building information for analysis and simulation, and then to further manage the information. The paper also identifies limitations and presents future research directions for carbon footprint calculation and tracking.

1. Introduction

In recent years, BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology [1] has been growing in importance, becoming an indispensable tool in the design, implementation, and operation of construction projects. Increased awareness of its potential, such as cost optimization, efficient project management, quick and easy contact between those involved in an investment, and improved quality of workmanship, is attracting increasing attention from both investors and contractors [2]. Data show that an increasing number of construction professionals are using BIM, indicating its growing popularity [3]. Nonetheless, there are still challenges related to low familiarity with technology among designers and the need for continuous staff improvement [4]. The future of BIM as a basis for building digital twins looks promising, especially in the context of the increasing digitization of the construction sector and growing awareness of it [5]. BIM is also key to achieving sustainability goals, enabling optimization of energy consumption and minimizing waste generation [6]. With precise data at the concept stage, the technology supports the design of low- or zero-emission buildings, which is essential in the face of global environmental challenges [7]. Construction as a sector has a significant impact on climate change and global warming. The production of almost every material good involves the emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which contributes to the carbon footprint, directly affecting the global warming effect (Figure 1). Construction generates significant amounts of greenhouse gases at every stage of the life cycle of a building or infrastructure. In the face of these challenges, BIM technology is becoming not only a tool to improve the efficiency of the construction process but also a key component of strategies to reduce GHG emissions and minimize the negative environmental impact of construction [8].

As BIM technology gains prominence in the global construction industry, its role in promoting sustainability is becoming more apparent, if only through the introduction of the so-called BIM mandate in many countries [9]. This is leading to a search for new tools that can support efforts to achieve the idea of a circular economy. One such tool is BIMvision, which offers the ability to view and analyze BIM models. It is one of the more popular IFC (Industry Foundation Class) viewers, alongside Solibri Model Viewer and Open IFC Viewer. Proper use of such tools can improve communication and increase efficiency in the design and implementation of construction projects, which is important in the context of combating climate change [10]. One of the key indicators for assessing environmental impact is the carbon footprint, which measures the total greenhouse gas emissions, expressed in CO₂ equivalents [11] generated during all stages of the life cycle of construction projects. It considers embedded emissions (ECF, or embedded carbon footprint) related to the extraction of raw materials, production and transportation of materials, the construction process, and demolition and disposal, as well as operational emissions (OCF, or operational carbon footprint) generated during the use of the building. In 2019, the construction sector accounted for 38% of global energy-related emissions, of which 28% resulted from building operations (Figure 2) and 10% from embedded emissions. Reducing the sector’s carbon footprint requires sustainable design solutions, rational planning, and the implementation of efficient technologies to decarbonize and increase energy efficiency at every stage of the building life cycle [12].

By integrating data on materials, energy consumption, and ongoing operating costs, BIM enables informed decisions that consider the pro-environmental aspect [13]. The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a document that provides detailed information on the environmental impact of construction products throughout their life cycle. It is based on the life cycle analysis (LCA) methodology and is a standard way to quantify the environmental impact of products [14]. With EPD, builders and contractors can make more informed decisions on the choice of building materials, thereby reducing the embedded carbon footprint of buildings [15]. Easy access to the right tools and the ability to use them efficiently in calculating the carbon footprint are crucial, and demand for such innovative solutions is growing [16]. Analyses from this angle are usually performed for large developments, while relatively small buildings, such as single-family houses, are not a priority group for determining environmental indicators. Although subjecting them to this type of analysis is extremely important in the context of implementing sustainable construction and reducing CO₂ emissions.

Construction products and related materials and processes require targeted requirements with more cross-sector links and changes in production practices of commonly used materials associated with high greenhouse gas emissions. There are many different methods for calculating carbon footprints [17]. They make it possible to obtain the full amount of CO₂ for the entire life cycle of a given investment. The choice of a specific method depends on the needs and availability of data. A popular way is to use plugins and services that extend any BIM software (

Table 1. Selected software for calculating the carbon footprint of buildings and construction projects (own elaboration based on [13]).

Tool	Type	Destination	Properties	Cost
Green Building Studio	Plug-in/web service	Energy analysis in the design phase	Allows calculation of building energy consumption based on building type and location	Commercial (30-day free trial period)
Carbo Life Calculator	plug	Calculating the carbon footprint that is emitted throughout the life cycle of a facility	Uses databases including EPD to obtain reports. Retrieves carbon footprint information at model scale in Revit	Free
Design Builder	plug	Analyzing energy consumption and verifying projects’ compliance with energy certifications like EPCs in the UK	Ability to manage building systems and make changes to improve the comfort of its occupants	Commercial (30-day free trial period)
One Click	software	Counting a building’s carbon footprint and its emissions	Automated building life cycle assessment, database of information on carbon footprint of individual elements	Commercial
Carbon Footprint Calculator	website	Counting the approximate and total amount of CO2 that is emitted by a household	Focuses on electricity consumption and heating	Free
Carbon Footprint Ltd.	website	Counting the building’s indirect and direct emissions	Uses external databases where data on current environmental impacts are available	Free

). One of these is Green Building Studio, a cloud service that allows for extensive analyses in the energy sector. It allows you to calculate the energy consumption of a building based on its type and location. The Carbo Life Calculator, on the other hand, is a tool for calculating the carbon footprint emitted by a building throughout its life cycle. It retrieves information about the value of materials on a model scale, e.g., in Autodesk Revit. This add-on significantly improves carbon footprint analyses and allows users to understand the full scale of emissions. The Carbo Life Calculator uses databases from companies such as EPD to obtain reports. Another plug-in for carbon footprint analysis is Design Builder. It is a tool for conducting complex energy consumption analyses and checking the compliance of projects with energy certificates, such as EPC in the UK. The software also allows for the management of lighting or other building systems, such as air conditioning. This makes it possible to make changes to the design to improve the conditions for building users and reduce CO₂ emissions. Nowadays, it is also possible to calculate a carbon footprint via websites or online services. These focus on electricity consumption, heating a house, or driving a car, among other things. One such application is the Carbon Footprint Calculator. It calculates the approximate and total amount of CO₂ emitted by a household. Another group of websites calculates direct emissions related to human activity, as well as indirect emissions that are not directly influenced by humans. One such website is Carbon Footprint Ltd (Suvilahdenkatu 10, 00500 Helsinki, Finlandia), which uses external databases that provide data on current environmental impact. One Click LCA is an automated software tool for evaluating the life cycle of a building. Among other things, it is used to quantify the operational and embodied carbon footprint of a building. It also estimates CO₂ emissions based on the size and type of the building in question, and compares, optimizes, and visualizes the carbon efficiency of alternative designs. Other tools for calculating the carbon footprint include eTool, PHRibbon, Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), and Tally [18].

The UrbanBIM plug-in (for BIMvision), developed by Datacomp in cooperation with CTMarmol (jointly developed by 6 organizations), enables the calculation of carbon, water, and nested energy footprints for urban projects. The UrbanBIM tool has already been used in primary research, and the results were presented in 2020 [19]. However, the research was conducted on a finished model, e.g., a pre-prepared piece of space, rather than on a volume object (building). Usually, due to time constraints, most building carbon footprint analyses estimate building materials and fuels consumed in the construction phase rather roughly, which excludes the selection of a wide range of construction techniques, materials, specialties, and machinery, not to mention energy consumption in the operational phase. The roughness of the practice undermines its credibility and makes it difficult to use as a tool to support decision-making in low-carbon design [20]. Similarly, there is a lack of research on the estimation of the carbon footprint of a building in its raw state. Hence, a certain identified research gap is the possibility of using the UrbanBIM plug-in without prior preparation of input or output data on a building object. In this secondary study, a specific shell building previously designed in the BIM environment was examined, and the embedded carbon footprint was calculated for it. The purpose of the paper was to present a methodology for calculating the carbon footprint for a single-family shell building at the design stage, identify limitations of the plug-in, and plan future research and development directions.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. UrbanBIM

BIMvision is a free desktop application and IFC file viewer that allows visualization of building and infrastructure models developed in BIM applications such as Autodesk Revit, Graphisoft Archicad, and Tekla Structures without requiring a license for those programs. It is freeware, meaning it is provided free of charge, but does not allow modification of the code or financial gain from distribution [21]. It supports popular IFC formats in 2 × 3 and 4.0 versions, allowing efficient viewing of design data. In addition, BIMvision offers an interface for creating plug-ins, allowing the program’s functionality to be extended according to users’ needs [22]. The UrbanBIM plug-in used in the study allows you to assign appropriate environmental impacts to any BIM objects in IFC format, providing a holistic view of the environmental impact of urban developments [23]. The plug-in analyzed focuses on environmental footprints, which measure the impact of human activities on the environment, considering resource consumption and emissions associated with the production, use, and disposal of products.

2.2. Technical Aspects of Calculating Environmental Footprints in UrbanBIM

The UrbanBIM plug-in is used to determine the environmental impact of construction elements, based on material properties and life cycle analysis of a given product. The process of calculating indicators itself is simple, but the basis is a properly built external database. It must be saved in the form of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx) and have the appropriate values for the environmental impact of individual objects. The database is imported into the program after loading the model in BIMvision. Parameters must then be defined for all model elements by selecting the appropriate materials from the imported database and assigning them to individual objects. Reference values of environmental indicators for the analyzed materials, defined in specific units depending on the scale of measurement, then appear in the UrbanBIM tab. If several similar items are selected, a grouping tool can be used. To determine the environmental impact of an object, take a measurement of the area or volume of the element, and then transfer the resulting value to the table. The UrbanBIM tab then shows the calculated global value for environmental indicators, calculated as the product of the reference value (data from the imported table) and the measured value (area). This process should be repeated separately for each element (entity) that makes up the model. The results can be saved in a BVF file for future review. There is also an option to present the obtained indicator values with a color visualization of the model’s impact on the natural environment. The workflow of the research is shown in Figure 3.

3. Case Study

The feasibility of using the UrbanBIM plug-in to calculate the carbon footprint was tested in BIMvision version 2.24.4 using a single-family shell building as an example. For this purpose, a BIM model was developed using Autodesk Revit 2024.2 software (Figure 4) based on Marcin Majta’s design, made available in the public domain on the Internet by bim.edu.pl [24]. This building was chosen because it is representative of the Polish construction market, where so-called construction work (shell and core) is an important milestone in the investment and construction process. Poland has a temperate climate, where mainly durable building materials are used, e.g., ceramic blocks, silicate, or expanded clay concrete. In structural parts, reinforced concrete, concrete blocks, or prefabricated elements are generally used.

A BIM model is a semantic, object-oriented database about a building. High-level relationships and entities stored in specific classes make it possible to create reliable statements of quantities (e.g., a material estimate). By exporting a summary of the types of materials used from Autodesk Revit to Excel, information on key structural elements of the building was obtained. Among them are 10 cm thick lean concrete, 50 × 30 cm footing, reinforced concrete (foundation) wall, compacted sand, ceiling—10 cm thick lean concrete, reinforced concrete wall, 24 cm thick masonry wall, 12 cm thick masonry wall, 24 × 24 cm concrete column, 6 × 24 cm concrete beam, 24 × 4 cm concrete beam, 18 cm thick reinforced concrete ceiling, reinforced concrete stairs, 198 × 210 cm entrance door, 82.5 × 208.9 cm interior door, balcony doors (180 × 210 cm, 94.5 × 250 cm, 395.6 × 210 cm), 243.84 × 243.84 cm garage door, and windows (178.5 × 150 cm, 121.2 × 121.2 cm, 178.5 × 120 cm). BIMvision in combination with UrbanBIM allows filtering, grouping, or dimensioning of elements (Figure 5).

Figure 6 shows the CO₂ reference values and the total value calculated. The quantity surveying tools enable the results to be checked, evaluated, and validated. In the event of discrepancies, the BIM model can be processed further, thus enabling dynamic changes to the model without delays.

This information formed the basis for developing a table (

Table 2. EPD-certified materials quotation (own elaboration).

Authorization	EPD Owner	Registration Number	Name	Unit
The International EPD® System	ERGOBETON S.A. THRACE	EPD-IES-0015692:001	Lean Concrete	1 m3
The International EPD® System	MOLINS PRECAST SOLUTIONS	EPD-IES-0014681:002	Beams, pillars, and stairs	1 t
The International EPD® System	JUNDU	EPD-IES-0012715:002 (S-P-12715)	Dry sand	1 t
The International EPD® System	Jay Jalaram Bricks	EPD-IES-0014544:002	Brick	1 t
epddanmark	VinduesIndustrien	MD-22040-DA	Aluminum timber window with 3-layer glazing	1 m2
The International EPD® System	Optimera Svenska AB	EPD-IES-0016101:001	OPUS Wooden Front Doors	1 m2
The International EPD® System	Loading Systems International BV	EPD-IES-0012890:002 (S-P-12890)	SECTIONAL DOOR 601 FULL-VISION	1 m2

), which then served as input to the UrbanBIM plug-in. Three EPD modules played the most important role in the analyses: A1 (raw material procurement), A2 (transportation), and A3 (production process). Using the EPD reports, the carbon footprint of each model component was calculated (

Table 3. Summary of the number of facilities with the calculated carbon footprint (own elaboration).

IFC Element	Class IFC	Description (Polish)	Description (English)	Unit	t (CO2 eq/1000xu. Ref.)
Concrete floor	IfcSlab	Strop betonowy	Concrete ceiling	m3	55,700
Reinforced concrete elements	IfcWallStandardCase, IfcColumn, IfcBeam, IfcStair	Elementy żelbetowe	Reinforced concrete elements	m3	500
Sand	IfcSlab	Piasek	Sand	m3	110,929
Entrance doors	IfcDoor	Drzwi wejściowe 198 × 210 cm	Entrance door 198 × 210 cm	m3	19,304
Interior doors	IfcDoor	Drzwi wewnętrzne 82.5 × 208.9 cm	Internal door 82.5 × 208.9 cm	u	342,411
Balcony doors	IfcDoor	Drzwi balkonowe 180 × 210 cm	Balcony door 180 × 210 cm	u	97,891
Balcony doors	IfcDoor	Drzwi balkonowe 94.5 × 250 cm	Balcony door 94.5 × 250 cm	u	311,283
Balcony doors	IfcDoor	Drzwi balkonowe 395.6 × 210 cm	Balcony door 395.6 × 210 cm	u	194,552
Garage door	IfcDoor	Brama garażowa 243.84 × 243.84 cm	Garage door 243.84 × 243.84 cm	u	684,131
Window	IfcWindow	Okno 178.5 × 150 cm	Window 178.5 × 150 cm	u	220,492
Window	IfcWindow	Okno 121.2 × 121.2 cm	Window 121.2 × 121.2 cm	u	120,968
Window	IfcWindow	Okno 178 × 5 × 120 cm	Window 178 × 5 × 120 cm	u	176,394

).

4. Results

After converting the building model to IFC format and preparing the table, an attempt was made to enter the data into BIMvision. Constructing a suitable database compatible with the plug-in proved to be a challenge due to the lack of a detailed description on how to create the table. The import succeeded after repeated attempts and manual formatting. Hence, there is some redundancy in the data, where columns show repeated data (Appendix A). Next, the areas and volumes of the various model elements were measured. Based on these and the previously entered data, the embedded carbon footprint of the designed building was calculated (Figure 7), with a total value of 76.35 tons.

The option of visual presentation of the obtained indicator values by means of a color composition of the model’s impact on the natural environment makes it possible to identify the most troublesome elements. BIM allows variants and selection of optimal solutions [25], hence, the designer at this stage can decide on significant changes.

5. Discussion

5.1. Limitations of the Study

The focus is on the weaknesses of the program to make it leaner and more agile. The direct relationship between researchers and software developers will enable the product to be improved. Working in BIMvision with the UrbanBIM plug-in and performing carbon footprint calculations is possible, but there are some limitations and problems to be aware of. First, the UrbanBIM plug-in does not work in the latest version of the program (BIMvision 2.28.1); it is supported by an older version (BIMvision 2.24.4). According to the manufacturer, a BETA version of the plug-in is currently under development, which is expected to be compatible with new versions of BIMvision and expanded to include the ability to add custom parameters. It is to be commercialized under the name IFC Green. Changes to the BIMvision system caused temporary incompatibility with the UrbanBIM plugin, which has now been eliminated. BIMvision version 3.0.1 is currently available and, according to the manufacturer, works with UrbanBIM, which is currently considered a free educational version. Semantics and levels of model detail are also an issue. In traditional design, the terms architectural (conceptual) design, construction design, and detailed design are used to describe the accuracy of a project. In 3D modeling, no such terms are used—the design is created at a scale of 1:1. Instead, levels of detail (accuracy) of modeling are used, and it is worth noting that the design can contain elements at different levels of detail. The smaller and more unique the element, the less likely it is to have information on the carbon footprint generated. Access to data on the carbon footprint factor of individual materials, design elements, and objects used in models is very limited. In scientific discussions, ideas of national repositories with carbon footprint information or carbon footprint factoring have been floated. Incomplete information significantly affects the quality of the model and the accuracy of the calculation results. In the analyses carried out, an effort was made to use such materials and components that have an assigned factor for the embedded carbon footprint. Manufacturers do not enter carbon footprint data into BIM library objects, which makes the work of modelers more difficult and can affect the accuracy of the obtained results of environmental analyses. In this study, the base table was created based on data from the International EPD System—the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) program. Unfortunately, at present, it is mainly larger companies in the industrial and service sectors that choose to certify their products, while it is difficult to find products typically used in single-family housing. Therefore, manufacturers of building materials who distribute them on the Polish market should ensure that reliable CO₂ data is provided in EPD documents.

Another identified limitation was loading an Excel table into BIMvision. The instructions included with the UrbanBIM plug-in do not show how to construct the table to make it compatible with the program. An improperly created database does not load and closes the entire program, or imports incompletely (some columns or values are missing). Creating a table thus becomes problematic and requires a lot of work and time. Software manufacturer Datacomp IT (Generała Jana Henryka Dąbrowskiego 24, 30-532 Cracow, Poland) stresses that perhaps in the future, sample “universal tables” will be created and made available, with reference to the sources to be used to obtain a suitable database, which would greatly streamline the whole process. In addition, UrbanBIM makes it impossible to change units—calculations must be performed in tons. Moreover, most of the work is performed manually, as automation of the process is very limited. However, the manufacturer assures that further work is already envisaged to expand the functionality and automation (including improved retrieval of items from the database, and perhaps automation in dimensioning).

The plug-in allows users to perform the necessary calculations, create final statements, and provide a simple visualization of the results, but the report generation capabilities are limited. Better results can be provided by the Advanced Reports plug-in, which unfortunately requires an additional payment of EUR 150 [26]. It allows analyzing, grouping, and summing in any way selected properties of certain objects of the IFC model, marking an element or group of elements with the same parameters/attributes with a selected color, as well as developing summary reports and saving the data in MS Excel format. The effects are visible both in the geometry preview and in the report table windows, which can translate into satisfactory work results.

A new calculation approach is being developed, which will be based on ready-made templates. It will also be possible to process data directly from the current EPD certificates. There are many problems beyond the scope of this article related to the automation of carbon footprint calculations. Databases such as EPD and similar, apart from being poor, are not linked to the CCI classification or any other classification, which makes it difficult to automate the calculations.

5.2. Future Research Directions

Calculating the carbon footprint of buildings using the UrbanBIM tool opens new research directions in monitoring the environmental impact of construction. A key area of development is the integration of EPD-certified building materials with digital BIM models, which will allow faster and more accurate calculations of embedded emissions [27]. In the future, we suggest using another software, especially an authoritative one, to recalculate the building’s carbon footprint and verify the reliability of the tool’s calculations. Another important direction is the study and creation of new regulations that would enforce the declaration of the actual carbon footprint of building materials by manufacturers. Such regulations would enable the creation of efficient tools for calculating embedded emissions and would support the development of sustainable construction, as well as increase the competitiveness of companies with environmentally friendly practices. Considering that the operational phase accounts for the largest share of carbon emissions, further research on this phase should be conducted, as estimated operational carbon footprint studies are usually even rougher than those on the embedded carbon footprint. Developing methods to assess the full environmental footprint of buildings, considering not only the carbon footprint but also the water and energy footprints, is also an important area of research. The introduction of such tools would enable a holistic assessment of the environmental impact of buildings, covering all stages of their life cycle—from the production of materials, through operation, to recycling and demolition. Further research into the integration of carbon footprint calculations with digital tools and the development of materials databases are key steps in the pursuit of sustainable construction and the achievement of ambitious climate goals.

An interesting solution is the BinderLess LCA carbon footprint calculation assistant, which uses the latest techniques for processing unstructured data to automatically estimate the carbon footprint of buildings, based on documents provided by users, regardless of their quantity or quality. The main goal of the product is to reduce the need for manual preparation of data for LCA analysis, the analysis takes place automatically in the background during the user’s normal work in CDE. The user adds material, can attach an EPD certificate or not, and the result is an estimate of the carbon footprint generated by their building. For now, the tool works in the erection phase of building construction, but in the future, there are plans to handle emissions associated with subsequent phases, such as maintenance, demolition, and recycling. Thanks to advanced algorithms based on machine learning, users can monitor changes in emissions in real time [28].

5.3. Practical Implications

Tools such as Urban BIM bring significant benefits by enabling accurate calculation of the carbon footprint of cubic buildings at the design stage. This allows investors and designers to consciously choose materials, reducing CO₂ emissions in the early stages of a project. This software provides a tool for developers and enables them to create a positive environmental showcase for the company, an important market asset, especially when combined with certifications such as LEED or BREEAM [29]. The implementation of such tools supports the pursuit of zero-carbon buildings, which contributes to reducing climate change and meeting global environmental goals, while increasing the prestige and competitiveness of construction companies in the market.

6. Conclusions

UrbanBIM has so far been applied in urban planning models, hence, this study presents a unique application (building shell) of this tool and presents new insights generated by the research results. The study demonstrated the feasibility of calculating the carbon footprint for a single-family shell building using the UrbanBIM tool and pointed out the importance of performing this type of analysis. It is worth emphasizing once again that determining environmental indicators for this type of building is not currently a common practice. Using the free UrbanBIM tool for this purpose could influence the reduction in CO₂ emissions, which is an extremely important aspect these days. Information on the carbon footprint of even a single single-family building could be positive in terms of raising public awareness of environmental issues, as well as improving the competitiveness and pro-environmental image of construction companies. Despite a few limitations due to external factors, such as incomplete data on the embedded carbon footprint of individual materials, as well as problems encountered when working in BIMvision itself, the calculation of environmental indicators using BIM technology has very high potential. The UrbanBIM plug-in already offers tremendous possibilities for performing analyses over models, but, as software developer Datacomp adds, further work is already anticipated to expand its functionality and automate it to streamline work (the new version will be commercialized under the name IFC Green). Determining environmental indicators for digital models of real buildings is thus becoming easier, faster, and more accurate, which should encourage widespread use of the available technology and help derive as much benefit from it as possible.