PSI - Issue 70

Dharshan V et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 70 (2025) 493–500

497

These emissions entail material extraction, production, transportation, on-site construction, energy use during operation, maintenance, and eventual demolition. A BIM plugin named One Click LCA was used to analyze the environmental impact of the hospital building's construction stage in this project. The One Click LCA platform was used to export the 3D model created in Revit, once the main elements like walls, floors, roofs, and windows were correctly labeled with sustainable materials. A proper assessment method was chosen, and the materials were associated with the LCA database. The software calculated the embodied carbon as well as the operational carbon. The results were presented as total emissions and emissions per square meter, which can be compared with sustainability standards and used to make informed design changes.

Table 2. Summary of carbon emission data

Parameter

Value

Unit

Total carbon emissions Total carbon emissions Gross internal floor area

1680

tonnes CO₂e

1,680,000

kg CO₂e

2135.5

m²

Assessment period

60

years

Average emissions per m² (Lifetime) Average emissions per m² per year Tool output (Total lifecycle impact)

787

kg CO₂e/m²

13.12

kg CO₂e/m²/year kg CO₂e/m²/year

111.98

The hospital building's carbon emission intensity was calculated at 111.98 kg CO₂e/m²/year, significantly lower than the average benchmark range of 150 – 250 kg CO₂e/m²/year for healthcare facilities, as referenced in Table 3 (LETI Embodied Carbon Primer, NHS (UK) Zero Carbon Hospital Framework). Given the high energy demands of hospitals, this reduced emission rate indicates strong energy performance and sustainability. Overall, the results confirm that the project outperforms typical healthcare facilities in terms of carbon emissions.

Table 3. Average carbon emissisons for different building types Building Type

Total Carbon Emissions (kg CO₂e/m² over 50 years)

Residential Healthcare Industrial

969 – 1,304

7,500 – 12,500 1,200 – 1,800 800 – 1,200 1,100 – 1,800

School Office

3.4.2 Sustainable design components and ECBC compliance Sustainable building design minimizes environmental impact while ensuring efficiency and comfort. In this hospital project, passive strategies, smart material use, and efficient planning were adopted. The design complies with India’s ECBC standards, promoting energy savings, renewable use, and eco -friendly practices.

3.4.2.1 External wall and Roof

The external wall was designed with a multi-layered system to enhance thermal performance, consisting of 45mm rigid insulation (exterior), 200mm AAC block (core), 45mm fiberglass batt insulation (interior), and 25mm plaster on both sides. This design improves thermal resistance, reduces heat transfer, and enhances indoor comfort, reducing cooling energy demand. Software analysis yielded a U-factor of 0.2184 W/m²·K, while manual calculations gave 0.208 W/m²·K. The small variation is due to different methods, but both values meet the ECBC 2017 limit of 0.22 W/m²·K, supporting the project’s sustainability goals. Typical wall details are in Table 4, with manual calculations in equation (1). The roof design, aimed at reducing heat gain and maintaining comfort, features a 100mm RCC slab, 65mm rigid insulation, a 25mm concrete layer, and a 20mm tile finish. This setup lowers thermal conductivity and enhances durability. The U-factor was 0.3257 W/m²·K through Revit simulations and 0.306 W/m²·K from manual calculations. The slight difference reflects method variations, but both values comply with the ECBC 2017 limit of 0.33 W/m²·K, promoting energy efficiency. Roof details are in Table 5, with manual calculations in equation (1).