BIM & LCA — Autodesk Revit & One Click LCA

Windows and doors are best assessed by keeping their family types grouped. This means you will get the overall projected window/door area instead of quantities of individual materials, e.g., glass, aluminum, PVC, etc. The window/door area must then be mapped with an EPD or generic data point that represents an entire window/door, including the panel and frame. This is a better option because the frames in windows and doors are often modeled as solid elements ignoring the hollow part of the profile is made of aluminium or PVC, and also because the glazing is typically modeled as a single, considerably thicker glass pane instead of two or three thinner ones for double and triple glazed windows respectively. More information on this topic can be found in Revit guide Paragraphs 7.2.3 and 7.2.4.

Hollow core slabs are best included in an LCA by using their area instead of the individual material quantities. This area must then be mapped with an assembly, EPD, or generic data point that represents the entire profile of this slab, including the concrete, the hollow cores, and the reinforcement. More information on this topic can be found in Revit guide Paragraph 7.2.1.

Composite metal decks are best included in an LCA by using their area instead of the individual material quantities. This area must then be mapped with an assembly, EPD, or generic data point that represents the entire profile of this slab, including the concrete, the steel deck, and the additional reinforcement. More information on this topic can be found in Revit guide Paragraph 7.2.2.

Curtain walls are typically best included by using the area of the curtain wall panels and the length of the curtain wall mullions. In both cases, it might be best to map these two quantities with custom assemblies that accurately represent the panels and mullions. This is because, in many cases, curtain wall panels are modeled at a lower level of detail in Revit models, while curtain wall mullions might be modeled as solid elements, ignoring the hollow core of their profile, and might also include materials and elements that form part of the panel in reality. More information on this topic can be found Revit guide in Paragraph 7.2.5.