Limitations of machine-interpretability of digital EPDs used for a BIM-based sustainability assessment of construction assets

Construction assets are complex systems that require the analysis of a huge amount of data from materials and processes in order to perform a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Information from construction products and materials are usually provided with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which will be incorporated in LCA or Building Information Modelling (BIM) software for sustainability assessment purposes.

This research studied digital EPDs available from Programme Operators, in order to identify the limitations for an automatic computer transfer of EPD-data into software tools without previous human interpretation of the content. Several implemented solutions were analysed, such as the international standard EN ISO 22057, the ILCD+EPD format, IFC or Smart CE. The research includes the evaluation of the scientific literature and the ISO, IEC and CEN/CENELEC standards related to sustainability assessment of buildings and infrastructures, EPDs or BIM.

The study identifies limitations for computer-interpretability of digital EPDs, such as the definition of scenarios and the unique identification of the elements and performance characteristics. The discussion and conclusions assess the identified limitations and provide some preliminary solutions for future research. The results can be applied to other construction product-related data and/or to EPD or LCA data from other sectors.

The significance of this research relies on bridging the gap between digital EPDs and BIM, reducing the cost and time required for the LCA of built assets, supporting the application of science-based policies and the measurement of ESG indicators used by public and private organisations in relation to buildings and infrastructures.