How the Net Zero Agenda and Sustainable Construction will increase BIM opportunities

Over the next few years, a key focus for the construction industry, and consequently BIM, will be the Net Zero Agenda. Net Zero has been defined as “achieving a state in which the activities within the value chain of a company result in no net impact on the climate from greenhouse gas emissions”. The UK is hosting the COP26 summit, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, in November this year, and the Construction Leadership Council has launched its C02nstruct Zero campaign to “drive out carbon from all parts of the construction sector”.

So what does this all mean for BIM professionals? Improving the performance of buildings and retrofitting old stock are areas where tools and data are making a significant contribution, creating opportunities for BIM in the design process, and diagnostics and remediation across existing buildings. By improving your understanding of how BIM can support sustainability goals and identifying where it can improve efficiency in design and maintenance, you can start to take advantage of these opportunities and play a role in reducing the impact of construction on the environment.

Why is BIM so important for sustainable construction? Well, in terms of creating new buildings, BIM improves sustainability at the three key stages:

• Design: ensuring reduced environmental impact
• Construction: reduce waste and time on site
• Operation: reduce waste and increase efficiency

The design phase

With BIM, you can achieve more transparency at the design phase. Better data provides a more informed design, enabling analysis of how the building will actually perform before it is built. All aspects of the building, from materials used to its energy efficiency, can be tested early on to provide a much more accurate picture of its environmental impact, rather than measuring it after it has been built.

Construction

BIM enables a more efficient and less wasteful construction process. Knowledge across all aspects of the build is shared in real time, reducing inaccuracies and increasing opportunities to work more efficiently. BIM also supports Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) where construction takes place off site – a process that can again improve efficiency and reduce waste.

Operation

Perhaps one of the biggest contributions that BIM can make to sustainability is in improving the running and performance of buildings over the long-term. Not only can BIM improve efficiency at the design phase by providing a more accurate analysis of a building’s requirements, but it can make the ongoing maintenance more streamlined and seamless. All data for replacements, refurbishments and renewals is easily available, and maintenance schedules can be created to optimise performance.

Existing stock and retrofitting

It’s not just new construction projects that require improved sustainability. According to the UK Green Building Council, 80% of buildings that will be in use in 2050 are already built. That’s why retrofitting has such a huge role to play in reaching Net Zero. We need to understand how these older buildings work in order to make them more efficient for the future, and this can be achieved more effectively with the use of digital tools such as photogrammetry and thermal bridging analysis. This information then needs to be analysed so that the most effective retrofit design can be prepared and implemented. While BIM is often thought of in terms of new projects, it can be used to improve older buildings, which is a vital part of achieving climate change goals.

A boost for BIM

Looking at construction through a sustainability lens has been the norm for some time now, but it is only going to become more intense. New infrastructure projects, upgrading public sector stock such as schools and hospitals, and any new commercial buildings will be increasingly scrutinised for their environmental impact and performance as we head closer to the Net Zero deadline.

In terms of your career, there are a variety of actions you can take to ensure you make the most of these opportunities. Are you fully up to speed on the role BIM plays in sustainability? Is there some training you can do to enhance your knowledge? (Take a look at our article on skilling up for tips on finding the best courses.) If you’re actively looking for a new role, are you presenting the environmental impact of your work prominently on your CV? Sustainable construction is the future, so make sure you’re on board.