Smarter Prefab with BIM: Cutting Carbon Through Data & Design
The construction sector is undergoing a paradigm shift as it faces increasing pressure to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly those linked to upfront embodied carbon. With operational emissions gradually decreasing due to grid decarbonization, the focus has shifted toward emissions from materials and construction activities. Prefabrication has emerged as a promising approach to tackle this challenge, but its benefits remain underexplored due to the absence of reliable benchmarks and frameworks. This research introduces a BIM-integrated carbon accounting framework designed to address this gap, providing new insights into the sustainability of prefabricated steel-framed buildings.
Significance of Embodied Carbon in Prefabricated Construction
Embodied carbon has become a critical research area in architecture and construction, given its growing contribution to the built environment’s carbon footprint. While prefabrication offers clear advantages in reducing on-site waste and improving material efficiency, the quantification of its true environmental benefits requires detailed life cycle assessment (LCA). Understanding the embodied carbon profile of materials used in prefabrication—such as steel, aluminum, and concrete—creates a foundation for establishing effective reduction strategies.
BIM-Integrated Carbon Accounting Framework
Building Information Modelling (BIM) provides a robust platform for streamlining data, automating calculations, and supporting sustainable design decisions. In this research, BIM serves as the backbone of a carbon accounting framework tailored specifically for prefabricated steel-framed buildings. By linking BIM with LCA methodologies, the framework enables automated material take-offs, efficient data management, and transparent comparisons of different construction scenarios. This integration enhances accuracy while reducing the time and complexity typically associated with traditional LCA studies.
Dynamic Decision Support through Visual Dashboards
A key innovation in this study is the development of a dynamic, parametric carbon evaluation dashboard using Power BI. This dashboard allows stakeholders to interact with project data, explore multiple design scenarios, and visually track carbon reduction potentials in real time. By automating scenario analysis, the dashboard transforms carbon accounting into an accessible and actionable tool, empowering architects, engineers, and decision-makers to align design strategies with sustainability goals early in the project lifecycle.
Material-Specific Decarbonization Strategies
The findings highlight that specific materials—especially aluminum and structural steel—offer the greatest opportunities for embodied carbon reduction. Substitution with renewable-energy aluminum and lightweight steel demonstrated reductions of up to 16% and 11%, respectively. Additional strategies, including recycled concrete and renewable electricity during construction, further contribute to emission savings. These results underline the importance of material-level interventions and targeted research into low-carbon alternatives for prefabricated construction systems.
Contribution to Sustainable Built Environment
The research not only demonstrates the technical feasibility of BIM-enabled LCA for prefabrication but also establishes benchmarks for similar construction practices. By offering a transparent, interactive, and standardized method for embodied carbon assessment, the framework aligns with global decarbonization goals. It highlights how digital workflows can play a transformative role in shaping a sustainable built environment and sets the stage for future studies to expand benchmarks across different building typologies and material systems.
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