Digital modeling reveals where construction carbon emissions really come from

(Press-News.org) A new study shows how digital building models can be used to pinpoint where carbon emissions occur across a building’s entire life cycle, offering designers and policymakers a powerful tool to reduce the climate footprint of the construction industry.

Researchers developed an integrated method that combines Building Information Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment to calculate carbon emissions from the earliest design stage through construction, operation, and eventual demolition. Using a real office building in China as a case study, the team demonstrated how emissions can be quantified in detail and how targeted reduction strategies can be identified before construction even begins.

The construction sector is one of the world’s largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions, responsible for more than one third of global energy related emissions. In China alone, emissions from construction activities have more than doubled over the past two decades. Despite this impact, accurately estimating emissions across a building’s full life cycle has remained challenging, especially during the design phase when key decisions are made.

“Our goal was to move carbon assessment upstream, into the design stage, where it can actually influence decisions,” said Yujing Yang, corresponding author of the study. “By integrating life cycle assessment directly into a digital building model, designers can see where emissions come from and how to reduce them before a building is constructed.”

The research team created a detailed three dimensional digital model of a three story reinforced concrete office building. They linked this model to a carbon emission estimation tool that calculates emissions from four major stages: material production and transportation, construction, operation and maintenance, and demolition. The model follows international life cycle assessment standards and uses region specific data for materials, energy use, and transportation.

The results reveal that emissions are not evenly distributed across a building’s life cycle. Material production emerged as a major contributor, with steel, concrete, and cement accounting for the largest share. Steel alone was responsible for nearly half of the emissions from material production. Transportation also played a significant role, particularly for bulk materials such as sand, where long transport distances greatly increased emissions.

“Our findings show that transportation distance can matter just as much as the material itself,” Yang said. “Sourcing materials locally has enormous potential to cut emissions, especially for heavy materials like sand.”

The study also found that operational emissions dominate over the long term, largely due to heating and energy use during the building’s lifetime. In the case study, heating related emissions accounted for nearly two thirds of total operational emissions. This highlights the importance of clean heating technologies, improved insulation, and energy efficient building design.

By running sensitivity analyses, the researchers showed how changes in transportation distance, vehicle type, and material sourcing could dramatically reduce emissions. In some scenarios, transportation related emissions were reduced by more than 70 percent simply by switching to local suppliers and lower emission vehicles.

The researchers emphasize that the approach is not limited to a single building or region. Because it relies on widely used BIM platforms and standardized life cycle assessment methods, it can be applied to a wide range of building types and locations.

“This study provides a practical roadmap for low carbon building design,” Yang said. “It shows that digital tools can turn climate goals into concrete design choices, helping the construction industry move toward a more sustainable future.”

The findings provide a valuable reference for architects, engineers, developers, and policymakers seeking to reduce carbon emissions from buildings while maintaining performance and cost efficiency.

 

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Journal reference: Yang X, Shi Y, Jordan BP, Wang S, Cao X, et al. 2025. A building information modelling study of carbon emissions in the construction industry based on life cycle assessment. Energy & Environment Nexus 1: e015  

https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/een-0025-0014  

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About Energy & Environment Nexus:
Energy & Environment Nexus (e-ISSN 3070-0582) is an open-access journal publishing high-quality research on the interplay between energy systems and environmental sustainability, including renewable energy, carbon mitigation, and green technologies.

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