Integrated BIM-IoT platform for carbon emission assessment and tracking in prefabricated building materialization
Xiaojuan Li, Ming Jiang, Chengxin Lin, Rixin Chen, Meng Weng, C.Y. Jim
Abstract
• Developed a BIM and IoT-based carbon tracking platform for prefabricated buildings. • Built a lifecycle carbon emission model for the building materialization stage. • Created an extensible BIM system using Dynamo parametric modeling. • Evaluated platform performance and proposed targeted optimization recommendations. • Provided new practical methods for prefabricated buildings' carbon control. Prefabricated building (PB) can effectively promote the low-carbon transformation of the construction industry. It is crucial to account for and analyze carbon emission sources and patterns during PB project materialization and develop an effective assessment and tracking platform. This study leverages Dynamo parametric modeling and coding to develop a scalable BIM system integrating carbon emission data with traceability. Combined with IoT technology, the platform is designed for accurate assessment and real-time tracking of carbon emissions during PB project materialization. Its effectiveness is evaluated, and optimization approaches are proposed. Evaluation results show that the platform improves real-time carbon emission tracking accuracy by approximately 30 % compared to traditional systems, achieving overall carbon reductions of 30−50 % during materialization, with potential reductions up to 60 %. The findings support the low-carbon transformation of the construction industry, offering a new framework and practical approach for carbon control, thus fostering the development of sustainable policies and practices.