What is Stopping Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based Whole Life Carbon Assessment of Buildings in Hong Kong?

Abstract

Building information modeling (BIM)-based whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) of buildings is critical to reaching Hong Kong’s 2050 Net Zero target. However, the adoption of BIM-based WLCA is not as apparent as it should have been. This study aims to examine the criticality of various challenges that prevent the wide adoption of BIM-based WLCA in Hong Kong. To this end, 20 challenges were identified from a comprehensive literature review, and a questionnaire survey was performed with 80 construction professionals. The mean score ranking analysis results indicated that 13 challenges were critical. The top three most critical challenges were “data collection difficulty due to the fragmented nature of the construction industry”; “lack of standardized and regional carbon emissions datasets”; and “lack of training and technical knowledge of 6D BIM applications and WLCA”. The factor analysis further revealved that the challenges were segregated into six key groups: information technology (IT), market readiness, workflow, project management, organizational, and knowledge challenges. The IT challenges were the most dominant. The findings would be useful to policymakers and practitioners in developing suitable policies and strategies to overcome the challenges and promote the wider adoption of BIM-based WLCA towards reaching the 2050 Net Zero target. They also contribute to the body of knowledge by analyzing the challenges of BIM-based WLCA within the context of a high-rise high-density city. Although the study was conducted in Hong Kong, the findings and implications may be applicable to other jurisdictions where Net Zero by 2050 remains a crucial target.