Enhancing Critical Raw Material Management in Construction: The Role of Building Information Modelling and Life Cycle Assessment

This paper presents a short technical perspective on how Building Information Modelling (BIM) could support the immediate implementation of the recently announced Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Act that will ensure EU access to a secure and sustainable supply of CRMs towards meeting Europe's 2030 climate and digital objectives. By leveraging the digitalisation offered in the construction sector via the use of BIM, it will be possible to effectively monitor the use of CRMs in a BIM-enabled construction project. BIM covers the entire life cycle of a building, including the monitoring of quantities and related processes of CRMs. This extends from preparatory and construction phases to maintenance, demolition, and end-of-life stages. Extending further, and towards monitoring in a more holistic approach the material and waste journey before or after the BIM coverage, the integration of a Life Cycle Assessment could cover the entire CRM journey in the construction sector and beyond (mining, manufacturing, recycling, etc.). This direct access to information will allow for (i) a better understanding of the use of CRMs in the construction sector, (ii) improved material management and collection of critical raw material-rich waste, (iii) more informed decision-making across all involved actors, and (iv) evidence-based policy-making regarding primary and secondary CRMs in the construction sector and beyond.