Integration of embodied carbon into a decision support framework for building renovation, considering energy and seismic performance : master thesis

Piña Fernández, Pablo (author), Cerovšek, Tomo (mentor), Stegnar, Gašper (comentor)

As operational emissions decline, embodied carbon becomes increasingly important in Europe’s post-war residential stock, where energy and seismic deficiencies may coexist. This research develops and evaluates a BIM/HBIM-based Decision Support Framework integrating Whole Life Carbon (WLC), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), energy performance, Life Cycle Costing (LCC), seismic evidence, and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM). A 50-year period and GIFA = 3,848 m² are adopted. Applied to a Type A1 building in Ljubljana, the framework compares five scenarios from existing condition to replacement. MCDM integrates EUI, non-operational GWP, discounted LCC, and EC8-relative seismic resistance derived from external technical evidence; no dynamic seismic analysis was performed as part of this thesis. S1 achieves the lowest WLC (1,108.7 kgCO₂e/m² GIFA) but retains the S0 seismic reference of 9.6%. S3 improves energy, WLC, and LCC relative to S2 while maintaining approximately 98% EC8 resistance. S4 achieves the lowest EUI (163.25 kWh/m²·year), discounted LCC (472.83 €/m² GIFA), and the adopted 100% EC8 reference. With equal weights, S4 achieves the highest MCDM score (0.940) and ranks first in 95.23% of 176,851 combinations. The hypothesis that S3 would achieve the lowest WLC is not confirmed. The framework enables transparent comparison of carbon, energy, cost, and seismic trade-offs. S4’s result applies only within the quantified criteria, weighting structure, assumptions, and modelled system boundaries and does not establish universal superiority of replacement over retrofit.

• Language: English
• Keywords: master thesis, civil engineering, whole life carbon, embodied carbon, building renovation, life cycle assessment, seismic performance, life cycle costing, multi-criteria decision making, decision support framework
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: [P. Piña Fernández]
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 1 spletni vir (1 datotek PDF (XVIII, 140 str., [51] str. pril.))
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-188717
• UDC: 502.131.1:69(043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 292925699
• Publication date in RUL: 26.09.2026

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Integracija vgrajenega ogljika v okvir za podporo odločanju pri prenovi stavb ob upoštevanju energijske učinkovitosti in potresne odpornosti

Abstract

Z zmanjševanjem operativnih emisij narašča pomen vgrajenega ogljika v evropskem povojnem stanovanjskem fondu, kjer lahko sočasno nastopajo energijske in potresne pomanjkljivosti. Raziskava razvija in vrednoti BIM/HBIM okvir za podporo odločanju, ki povezuje ogljični odtis v celotnem življenjskem ciklu (WLC), oceno življenjskega cikla (LCA), energetsko učinkovitost, stroške življenjskega cikla (LCC), potresne podatke in večkriterijsko odločanje (MCDM). Uporabljena sta 50-letno obdobje in GIFA = 3.848 m². Na stanovanjski stavbi tipa A1 v Ljubljani okvir primerja pet scenarijev od obstoječega stanja do nadomestne gradnje. MCDM združuje EUI, neoperativni GWP (Global Warming Potential), diskontirani LCC in potresno odpornost po EC8, kjer je kot vhodni podatek uporabljen podatek o potrebnih posegih in naloga ne izvaja analiz. S1 – energetska prenova dosega najnižji WLC (1.108,7 kgCO₂e/m² GIFA), vendar ohranja ocenjeno izhodiščno odpornost S0 9,6 %. S2 – potresna prenova izboljša potresno odpornost na približno 98 % po EC8, vendar zaradi intenzivnega konstrukcijskega posega dosega višje vrednosti WLC in LCC. S3 – integrirana prenova, ki združuje energetske ukrepe iz S1 in potresno utrditev iz S2, v primerjavi z S2 zmanjša EUI, WLC in LCC, pri tem dosega 98 % potresne odpornosti po EC8. S4 – nadomestna gradnja dosega najnižji EUI (163,25 kWh/m²·leto), najnižji diskontirani LCC (472,83 €/m² GIFA) in privzeto referenčno vrednost 100 % glede na EC8. Pri enakih utežeh S4 doseže najvišji rezultat MCDM (0,940) in se uvrsti na prvo mesto pri 95,23 % od 176.851 analiziranih kombinacij uteži. Hipoteza, da bi S3 dosegel najnižji WLC, ni potrjena. Okvir omogoča pregledno primerjavo kompromisov med ogljikom, porabo energijo, stroški in potresno odpornostjo. Rezultat S4 velja le znotraj izbranih kriterijev, uteži, predpostavk in modeliranih meja sistema ter ne dokazuje splošne prednosti nadomestne gradnje pred prenovo.

• Keywords: magistrska dela, gradbeništvo, ogljik v celotnem življenjskem ciklu, vgrajeni ogljik, prenova stavb, HBIM, ocena življenjskega cikla, potresna odpornost, stroški življenjskega cikla, večkriterijsko odločanje, podpora odločanju