BIM-LCA early-design stage workflows for public administration: a comparison

This study explores two different strategies for integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with Building Information Modeling (BIM) to support public authorities in the early design stages of new construction projects. In compliance with Italy’s Minimum Environmental Criteria (MEC) for the building sector, contracting authorities are required to assess the feasibility of interventions on their building stock before initiating procurement procedures. While MEC encourages the use of LCA to evaluate environmental impacts, it does not specify how to apply LCA in early design stages. The lack of clear guidance and the complexity of LCA processes pose significant challenges for public administrations. This research reviews and compares two BIM-LCA integration strategies that have been found in the literature to streamline and enhance LCA assessments. The goal is to identify the most suitable strategy and tool for facilitating LCA application in early public building designs in Italy with BIM methodology.