Smart models as intelligent assistants in building LCA

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of today's key issues if we look at the environmental performance of building materials, construction components or especially if we discuss about the sustainability of entire buildings. LCA assists in answering questions concerning these topics by using specific software, such as the GaBi 4 software, and by setting up tailored models. The difficulties in designing such tailored models for building LCA are high expenditures of time for modeling, the need for flexibility in assessing conditions and the representation of various building circumstances. In the context of a sustainable certification according to the German Certification for Sustainable Construction (DGNB), a generic built and hierarchical drawn up model for an office building is assembled within the GaBi 4 software. Its structural design complies with the ISO 14040/44 standard, and with the requirements for a sustainable evaluation according to the German Certification for Sustainable Buildings and Construction. As fully parameterized model it was applied in practical certification process for assessing the environmental impacts of the accredited office building and furthermore its applicability was validated. Therefore, the structural assembly of the described model and the flexibility of application for other building types will be demonstrated and discussed, to work out, how a smart model for building LCA may look like.