Work

A data-driven workflow for automated life cycle assessment in building refurbishment

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The construction sector is a major source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, largely driven by the embodied impacts of building materials. Refurbishment can reduce these impacts by extending building life and limiting new material demand. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) quantifies these benefits, but refurbishment LCAs are often slowed by inconsistent project documents and manual workflows. This study presents a data-driven workflow for automated LCA in building refurbishment. Natural language processing and machine learning extract material inventories from Bills of Quantities, link them to environmental databases, and calculate embodied impacts for A1A3, with extension to A4B5 using the Whole Life Carbon (WLC) Calculator and INDICATE decarbonisation factors. Applied to the rehabilitation and expansion of the Town Hall of Fuentes de Andalucía (Seville, Spain), the workflow reports A1-A3 impacts of 300,158.50 kg CO-eq in about 10 minutes. Validation against published refurbishment studies shows consistency with established benchmarks.

Source: Energy and Buildings

DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2026.117460

Authors: Sadaf Gachkar, Darya Gachkar, Antonio García Martínez, Cecilio Angulo Bahón

Institutions: Universidad de Sevilla, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Responsible consumption and production, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,260