Maria Teresa Henriques Alves Ferreira

O sector da arquitetura, engenharia e construção (AEC) é responsável por 35% das emissões de gases com efeito de estufa. A avaliação do ciclo de vida (ACV) é um método reconhecido para avaliação dos impactes ambientais ao longo do ciclo de vida de um produto, material, sistema, ou do edificado. A integração do Building Information Modelling (BIM) e da ACV é um caminho que tem vindo a ser percorrido. Contudo, ainda tende a ser avaliado em fases finais do projeto onde as alterações com vista a melhorias ambientais são difíceis de implementar pela fase tardia em que chegam. Outra limitação é a ACV estar muitas vezes associada a software específico, de acesso fechado, o que limita a sua avaliação do projeto como um todo. Assim, este artigo propõe um sistema de critérios para uma validação dos modelos BIM através de uma estrutura de especificação de entrega de informação (IDS) a ser executada em softwares de formato aberto, demonstrado num caso de estudo. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que, se os critérios estabelecidos forem cumpridos, o modelo está apto para a ACV em BIM. Resolve assim também o problema da interoperabilidade entre intervenientes AEC para a ACV, retendo nos modelos BIM os dados necessários para a ACV em todas as fases do ciclo de vida do projeto. Contribui ainda para as metas de descarbonização europeias, especificamente para a transição verde e digital do setor AEC.

Over the past two decades, the application of nanostructured materials in construction, such as concrete, paint, coatings, glass, renders, plasters, thermal insulation, steel, and even sensors, has become increasingly prevalent. However, previous studies and reports have raised concerns about the ecotoxicity and long-term impact of nanomaterials on human health and the environment. National and international legislation and regulations are struggling to keep up with the rapid development of nanomaterials, taking into account their unique characteristics and essential requirements for application and commercialization. This paper, based on existing standards for conventional materials and bibliometric networks of papers focused on nanomaterials, conducts a critical review and proposes relevant indicators for the application of nanomaterials in the construction sector. These indicators should be mandatory and are divided into environmental, human health, and economic perspectives, providing a risk assessment framework for applying nanomaterial-based constructive solutions oriented to environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

The construction industry is responsible for 40 % of the energy consumption and 36 % of the CO2 emissions, and buildings are responsible for a significant part of energy consumption in Europe.Thus, a growing concern regarding environmental impacts in the construction sector is in place. Reducing these impacts and optimise the design process is a major priority, and technology needs to be integrated along with the design to allow for better buildings performance. Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology is one of the technologies that is revolutionising how the supply chain delivers the construction projects, allowing for an overview of the whole life cycle, keeping track of the data along the process, and potentiating more advanced simulations and supported decisions.The tool proposed in this paper aims to integrate different types of sustainability analysis, namely Streamlined Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Carbon Footprint, Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Level(s) framework with BIM. This involves defining adequate Product Data Templates (PDT) and a database structure for BIM objects, including the necessary parameters to enable designers to do holistic and dynamic assessments from early design stages to a complete LCA. Also, considering the importance of using BIM to visualise different scenarios, a graphical interface will be developed to show the key sustainability indicators and support decision-making for more sustainable buildings. The results achieved show that technology must be taken to meet Climate most ambition targets and reduce the impact of construction.