Researchers Build Audit Prototype to Spot Data Gaps in Digital Building Models Ahead of EU Carbon Mandates

Under the European Union's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, developers must calculate whole-life carbon footprints for new buildings with a useful floor area exceeding 1,000 square meters starting in 2028, extending to all new buildings by 2030. The calculated figures will be incorporated directly into official energy performance certificates as part of the EU's push for a zero-emission building stock by 2050.

While construction and engineering teams increasingly rely on building information modeling (BIM) to supply this data, existing models often lack the specific information required for reliable lifecycle accounting, according to research from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) reported by TechXplore (https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-eu-requirements-approach-tool-digital.html).

A complete whole-life carbon footprint covers raw material manufacturing, transport, construction, maintenance, and eventual demolition and waste processing. KTU professor Lina Šeduikytė noted that high visual or spatial detail does not guarantee that a model contains usable information: if a file omits exact component materials, verified quantities, or physical properties, its value for assessing carbon footprints or material circularity remains limited.

Data discrepancies also emerge during file transfers between software applications. Export configurations and user settings can alter the material quantities recorded when converting files into Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), an open standard format for exchanging BIM data. When different software exports yield conflicting material volumes for the same structure, downstream climate impact estimates diverge, forcing specialists to hunt for missing specifications in drawings or rely on manual assumptions.

To identify these omissions early, KTU doctoral researcher Manvydas Mikulėnas and Šeduikytė developed a prototype diagnostic tool. Published in the journal Buildings, the software scans IFC-format models to evaluate whether they contain the data needed to identify components, geometry, quantities, material properties, structural connections, and references to technical documentation.

The tool groups results by building component category, highlighting gaps where items such as windows or panels appear visually but lack associated product names, material descriptions, or documentation references. Mikulėnas noted that while the tool detects whether data entries exist, verifying the factual correctness of those entries still requires separate verification.

The KTU team also found widespread omissions regarding structural circularity—the potential to disassemble and reuse components. The examined models contained almost no data regarding connection methods or disassembly sequences. Without knowing whether elements are mechanically fastened or glued, engineers cannot determine reuse feasibility without conducting disruptive, costly on-site inspections.

The researchers emphasized that to retain long-term value, digital building models must be updated across a structure's lifecycle to document initial design, as-built conditions, and subsequent alterations in software-agnostic formats.