Dynamic OpenBIM-LCA Integration for Embodied Carbon

Assessment of Structural Systems

Yazan Mohammad Alshawabkeh1,* Yousef Labib2

1 Ph.D. Structural Engineering, The University of Illinois at Chicago, US

2 University of Picardie Jules Verne, France

Received: October 14, 2025 Revised: November 19, 2025 Accepted: December 27, 2025 ⋆ Corresponding author

ABSTRACT

Embodied-carbon assessment has become an essential component of structural design, yet many life-cycle assessment

workflows remain separated from the evolving building information model. This paper proposes a dynamic OpenBIM–

LCA framework that connects structural geometry, construction-system material records, and environmental factors

within a transparent computational loop. The method extracts element quantities from an IFC-oriented structural

model, maps them to a material library, and updates embodied-carbon indicators whenever design variables are

modified. The framework enables rapid comparison of structural alternatives, element-level hotspot diagnosis,

and sensitivity-based interpretation without requiring a separate assessment model to be rebuilt after each design

change. The study demonstrates how BIM quantities and material attributes can be translated into a rigorous

carbon-calculation procedure for early-stage decision-making. The contribution lies in transforming BIM from a

passive source of schedules into an active environmental decision-support environment for low-carbon structural

design.

Keywords: Building information modelling Life-cycle assessment Embodied carbon Structural systems OpenBIM

Parametric design

1. INTRODUCTION

The decarbonisation of the built environment has shifted attention

from operational energy alone to the embodied impacts

of materials, structures, and construction systems. As

operational performance improves through regulation, envelope

design, and energy-system upgrades, the carbon locked

into foundations, slabs, frames, walls, and long-life components

becomes a decisive part of whole-building performance.

Structural systems are particularly important because they

often contain large volumes of concrete, steel, masonry, and

engineered timber, and because their geometry is usually

fixed early in the design process. Decisions about span, column

grid, slab thickness, wall layout, and material grade

can therefore determine a large proportion of life-cycle impact

before detailed architectural or services coordination is

complete.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is frequently presented

as an enabling platform for low-carbon design because it contains

geometry, element classes, material assignments, and

quantity information. However, the practical value of BIM

for embodied carbon assessment depends on whether this information

can be transformed into a reliable life-cycle inventory.

A model that contains object names and volumes does

not automatically provide environmental meaning; it must

be mapped to material categories, densities, emission factors,

replacement assumptions, and uncertainty ranges. This

mapping remains a persistent weakness in many BIM-LCA