Dynamic Life Cycle Assessment of Building Design and Retrofit Processes

Designers and managers of buildings and other constructed facilities cannot easily quantify the sustainability impacts of structures for improved analysis, management, or decision-making. This is due in part to the lack of interoperability between design and analysis software and datasets that enable full life cycle assessment (LCA) of constructed facilities. This work develops a computational framework to enable building designers, engineers, contractors, and managers to reliably and efficiently construct dynamic life cycle models that capture environmental impacts associated with every life cycle phase. This includes 3D architectural tools, structural software, and virtual design and construction packages. Use phase impacts can be quantified using distributed sensor networks. This integration provides a dynamic LCA modeling platform for management of facility footprints in real-time during construction and use phases, offering unique analysis opportunities to examine the tradeoffs between design and construction/operation decisions.