3 minute read
New BIM tool keeps track of CO2 emissions
BIM
New BIM tool keeps track of the building’s CO2 emissions
Advertisement
MOE has developed a brand-new digital tool that illustrates the CO2 emissions of each construction material as an integrated part of the BIM model. The new data visualisation tool is based on a user-friendly concept and can be accessed from an internet browser. It makes it possible for the user to continuously track the project’s finances and level of sustainability.
Imagine being in the very early stages of your construction project and wanting to have an overview of the environmental impact of the building materials in question. Something that would normally require several processes and complex calculations.
Similarly, it would come in handy to have the climate sinners made visible in the virtual model of the building. MOE is behind a new data visualisation tool that can do just that while staying useful throughout the process as more data is included.
The tool is part of the digital building model, which the design team already uses, while it extracts data from a database of construction material’s CO2 emissions, simultaneously. BIM-Specialist, Lars Peter Lennert, one of the developers behind the tool, explains: In the very early stages, once we have a rough sketch of the building’s form, we can, by way of example, isolate the facade, describe what it will consist of, more or less, in percent and immediately see how great a carbon footprint the facade alone contributes to the total project.
Thus, we provide both client and design team with useful information that makes it easier to choose the right materials in the early stages of development. Gradually, as more data is added, the different partners can keep track of the project’s ability to break-even in terms of its carbon footprint, and measure whether design optimisation is necessary. Still, the tool will have even more applications, Lars Peter explains:
In step with the increasingly detailed model, we gain a better foundation for assessing and comparing the different design options. For each design option, we do not only see the material’s CO2 emissions, the tool also provides us with details about heat-loss, CO2 emissions in connection to heating and, not least, the price of the different solutions.
Lars Peter Lennert Technical Director BIM-Installations Copenhagen
As Lars Peter points out, our Cost Management department has formed a comprehensive database with prices based on experience, which the model can use to visualise the financial aspects. When all parameters are included, it is easier to decide which solution will be the most sustainable investment in the long run.
Direct access from an internet browser One particular benefit of the tool is its user-friendliness. As Lars Peter puts it, it does not require a sophisticated BIM programme as it is accessible via an internet browser.
The user can move around the model without trouble. We even have a function that colour codes the materials according to their level of CO2 emission. The materials that emit the most CO2 are, as an example, red while the more climate friendly materials are green.
The new tool is developed in connection with the competition of the new Building 313 at Technical University of Denmark (DTU), as MOE was part of the wining team. Thus, the concept will debut as part of the construction of the new research facilities that will house laboratories and extensive installations. From this, we will gain useful experience and feedback, which we can use to develop the final concept, focusing on user experience.
The concept was developed through collaborations across MOE. In addition to Lars Peter and his colleagues on the BIM-area, the team includes an IT Business Analyst and a Sustainability Specialist. The tool that combines BIM-technology, dataflow, user friendliness and CO2 emissions has required great cross-disciplinary efforts.
