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Description
This project aims to stimulate the circular economy in Construction by introducing a Construction Information Classification System optimized for Sustainability (CICS) based on the principles of Circular Economy. This system will be used by project and construction professionals and those responsible for the management and maintenance of buildings and will allow the terminology to be unified at all scales, facilitating communication between assets, selection of materials and components, as well as an accurate assessment impacts of buildings throughout their life cycle. The ultimate goal of the project is to reduce construction and demolition waste through the selection, use and management of construction materials and construction elements with less environmental impact.
Challenge
The Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation (AECO) economic sector represents around 10% of European GDP. However, the energy consumption and environmental impact of the sector is disproportionate: it is responsible for half of energy and raw materials and one third of water consumption and for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. While other industries have been looking for innocuous materials and are betting on reduction and reuse, the pace of change in the Construction industry has been much slower.
Our Approach
The construction sector is undergoing a fast modernization and the Building Information Modelling, or BIM, is at its very core. BIM involves a digital representation of buildings, associating the 3D geometric description with the various information on building components and materials, functions, activities and spaces. The BIM 3D models contain the information needed for energy simulations, life cycle analysis, conflict detection, quantification, construction and building management.
The national professional community has an urgent need for a unified, national, Construction Information Classification System, or CICS. A classification system is a common language that facilitates communication and common utilization of models: a door is a door, a beam is a beam, steel is steel, no matter the place of the building, software, or way it looks in the model and in the final construction.
The association of a CICS to BIM will deliver a standard codification that characterizes constructions and construction activities (information organization and structuring, cost quantification, specifications, etc.). This univocal classification of materials, elements, systems, spaces and activities is essential for the use of BIM models in an efficient and sustainable way and throughout the life cycle, from concept to reutilization or demolition.
This development must be a collective effort, as small companies cannot afford its development, and larger ones do not share what they consider to be a competitive advantage. On the other hand, sustainable construction is not yet a priority in this sector.
This project will deliver a CICS that includes the products and materials life-cycle information such as energy, CO2 emission or degree of recyclability and reutilization. It will make much easier to answer to questions like: “What is the amount of CO2 released by this construction during its life span?” “Is this floor system reusable?” and take adequate decisions.
Impact
This project is structuring for the sector, applying a very pragmatic approach: it will provide a CICS that in addition to help with quantitative surveying, budgeting and facility management will assist in making project decisions and raise awareness of the choice of more sustainable materials and components while performing energy analysis, LCC, GWP, etc., to meet current and future needs.
Project site link.
Researchers
Partners
ISTAR-IUL – Leader
A Lab Architects (Norway)
Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil
Marta Campos Arquitectos
Universidade do Minho
Financing
Funding Entity
European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism 2014-2021
Environment, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy Programme
Call#2 – Projects for promoting the Circular Economy in the Construction Sector
Funding Amount (Global) – €303.915,71
Funding Amount (Local) – € 95.040,23
