Decision-making tools for evaluating the impact of materials selection on the carbon footprint of buildings

The objective of the research described in this article is to improve measurement, prediction and optimization of sustainable building material performance by integrating a decision-making framework for sustainable material selection of building materials with a building information modeling (BIM) tool. Integration of a BIM model with a decision-making tool and sustainable material selection addresses the difficulties of making decisions earlier in the design/build process and allows for specific sustainability trade-off analyses to be conducted, using the actual building conditions and characteristics. It is intended to improve the way building material data is utilized in a building throughout its life cycle, and to model the impact of design, maintenance, operations and occupant behavior modification decisions made in an effort to improve the building’s contribution to a sustainable infrastructure. Pertinent information contained within a BIM model is extracted, and utilized in decision making related to material selection and to the development of ‘what-if’ scenarios. Decision makers will be able to evaluate options for improving their building materials’ environmental sustainability performance. The research provides a new means for sharing data amongst various building modeling programs using a decision analysis model and a new tool for making design decisions related to sustainable building design.