BIM-Based Analysis and Strategies to Reduce Carbon Emissions of Underground Construction in Public Buildings: A Case on Xi’an Shaanxi, China

Abstract

The construction of public buildings involves a significant amount of carbon emissions, particularly during the materialization phase of underground construction, which is characterized by a rapid and intense release of carbon emissions. In response to this issue, this study aims to develop a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based method for assessing the factors influencing carbon emissions during the materialization phase of underground construction in public buildings. To achieve this goal, a process-based quantitative and qualitative method was established to evaluate carbon emissions at various stages, including raw material extraction and processing, building material/equipment production, and on-site processing of components, as well as construction and installation. The proposed method may serve as a valuable tool for selecting design schemes in the early stages of building design. By analyzing 125 actual cases in Xi’an, China and utilizing a carbon emission calculation model, accurate carbon emission data was obtained. This study’s findings indicate a correlation between the embodied carbon emissions and the area of underground space in the cases analyzed. Specifically, larger underground spaces were associated with higher embodied carbon emissions in underground engineering. Furthermore, this study categorized the cases into two groups based on the presence or absence of underground space, resulting in the identification of 16 factors for cases without underground space and 19 factors for cases with underground space. These findings provide valuable insights for understanding and mitigating the impact of carbon emissions during the materialization phase of underground construction in public buildings.