Building Information Modeling(BIM) for Sustainable Design

Growing environmental concerns coupled with high energy costs have led to a demand for sustainable construction. Sustainable designs are those which have minimal impact on the environment.

Sustainable constructions are not only eco-friendly but also an economically viable option. Although sustainable designs have an increased upfront expense of 2%, sustainable construction results in a life cycle savings to the tune of 20% of total construction costs.

A rating system called “LEED” ascertains if construction is environmentally viable or not in the USA.

LEED determines the sustainability of construction based on the following criteria:

? Sustainable sites

? Water Efficiency

? Energy Efficiency

? Materials and Resources Utilized

? Indoor Environmental Quality

? Innovative Designs

Most of us are unaware of the environmental impacts of buildings. In the USA:

? Commercial and Residential constructions consume 40% of the total energy.

? 70% of electricity

? 40% of raw materials

? 12% of the freshwater supply

Besides, they are responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste. (US Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network)

BIM is found to an ideal design solution for sustainable construction. The traditional digital design models do not contain the required data for building performance analysis and evaluation. On the other hand, the Revit Parametric model represents the building as an integrated database of coordinated information. Besides depicting the design graphically, it provides data required for a sustainable design like the design on the project proceeds.

Several BIM-based sustainability analysis software facilitate analyzing the sustainability of the construction.

BIM-based sustainability analyses software:

? Autodesk Ecotect

? Autodesk Green Building Studio(GBS)

? Integrated Environmental Solutions(IES)

? Virtual Environment(VE)

How does BIM help in Sustainable Design?

1. Optimization of Design

BIM enables architects to develop and study several design options simultaneously with a single model. Design options for varying levels of LEED certification can be toggled on and off in the model for visualization, quantification, and analysis through the entire lifecycle of the project. Therefore, it becomes easier to design and document design options.

2. Visualization

The BIM model can be used along with software tools for energy analysis, lighting studies, etc. This helps in quantifying green effects. Also, the 3D visualization and walk-throughs enable the design team and clients to view greener design options.

3. Energy Analysis

Revit building models provide robust design information with details and reliability to complete analysis of the structure from different aspects at the early stages of the design process. Revit building is directly linked to GBS service that facilitates building energy analysis tools and web-based solutions. Energy analysis can be conducted throughout the design process which enables optimizing the structure for an energy-efficient model.

4. Estimation of Material Quantities

One of the most crucial aspects of sustainable design is the selection of building materials. Revit technology enables accurate computation of the project’s material quantities.

Although not exhaustive, this is a list of some of how BIM simplifies sustainable design and construction.

Do you want to do your bit for the environment with sustainable construction? Connect with the experts in sustainable construction- Tejjy Inc.