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A Practical Guide to Streamlined Carbon Assessment from BIM

A knowledge bank, gathering practical guidance on ORIS features, tips, and correct usage.

Table of content

1. Foundation: Setting Up Your Project in a Workspace

2. Creating Your First Carbon Assessment: Two Paths to Your Goal 
2.1 The Manual Input Method (For Projects without a BIM Model) 
2.2 The Recommended Method: Using the open BIM Module 

3. Deep Dive: Mastering the open BIM Module Workflow 
3.1 The Core Task: Mapping Model Data to a Carbon Database 
3.2 Pro-Tip for Accuracy: Bridge the Gaps with Templates 
3.3 Work Scalable: Export & Import Configurations 
3.4 AI-Powered Acceleration: Using the AI Mapping Feature 

4. Finalising the Assessment and Interpreting Results 
4.1 Accounting for Transportation (A4 Stage) 
4.2 Accounting for Construction Activities (A5 Stage) 
4.3 Interpreting the Assessment Dashboard 

5. Evaluating Design Alternatives for Decision-Making 

6. Structuring Comprehensive Analysis with Project Portfolios 
6.1 Creating and Defining Project Scenarios with Portfolios 
6.2 Portfolio Comparison 

Additional Resources 
Interactive demos 
Review our short videos 
Conversion factors calculator


1. Foundation: Setting Up Your Project in a Workspace

[Watch an interactive product demo]

In the ORIS platform, a Workspace is the foundational organizing principle for all project-related data and collaboration. Think of it as a centralized digital hub for a specific project. Creating a Workspace is the mandatory first step before any analysis can begin, ensuring that team members, design files, and all subsequent carbon assessments are neatly organized and accessible in one shared location.

To get started, follow this simple process to create your project's home base:

  1. Navigate to Workspaces: Click on your user profile icon in the top corner of the platform. From the dropdown menu, select the "Workspaces" section.
  2. Create a New Workspace: Click the "New Workspace" button. You will be prompted to give your workspace a clear, descriptive name and an optional description.
  3. Invite Your Team: In the same setup window, you can begin adding colleagues to the workspace by entering their email accounts. This ensures that everyone involved in the project has access from the very beginning.

Effectively managing user access is crucial for seamless team collaboration and data integrity. ORIS provides a simple yet powerful role-based system to control permissions within each Workspace.

Role

Key Permissions

Admin

Has full control. Can invite or remove users, change user roles, edit the workspace name, and delete the workspace.

Manager

Can invite new users to the workspace. Cannot delete the workspace or modify its core details or other users' roles.

Member

Can access all assessments within the workspace but cannot invite new users or manage workspace settings.

It is important to note that these roles are specific to Workspace management (inviting users, renaming the space) and are separate from the permissions for individual assessments within that workspace.

With your Workspace established and your team assembled, you are now ready to take the next logical step: creating your first carbon assessment.

 

2. Creating Your First Carbon Assessment: Two Paths to Your Goal

A Material Assessment is the core carbon calculation within the ORIS platform. It provides a comprehensive analysis of a project's environmental impact, accounting for materials, transportation, and construction activities. The platform offers two primary methods for creating an assessment:

  1. a traditional manual input approach
  2. and a highly efficient, integrated process powered by the ORIS open BIM Module.

While both paths lead to the same results dashboard, the open BIM Module represents the standard for modern, integrated carbon assessment. This isn't just a faster alternative; it's a fundamentally different approach that transforms carbon assessment from a retroactive reporting exercise into a proactive design tool, embedding it directly into core workflows.

2.1 The Manual Input Method (For Projects without a BIM Model)

[Watch an interactive product demo]

This approach is ideal for estimates where a detailed BIM model is not yet available.

The manual process involves three high-level steps:

  1. Project Details: Begin by defining the essential project information. This includes setting the project's precise location on the map and giving the assessment a name. Fields marked with a small star are mandatory, while all other fields are optional, allowing you to control the level of detail you provide.
  2. Bill of Materials: Manually construct your bill of materials by adding each item one by one. You will search for and select materials from the appropriate library for your region (e.g., Danish InfraLCA, Oekobaudat), assign a component name, and input the required quantity.
  3. Site Selection: Account for the transportation of materials by assigning distances from production sites to your project location.

While functional, this method can be time-consuming and requires careful data entry. It stands in contrast to the speed and automation offered by the BIM-integrated workflow, which is the platform's most powerful feature.

2.2 The Recommended Method: Using the open BIM Module

The open BIM Module is the most efficient and integrated way to perform carbon calculations on the ORIS platform. Its primary purpose is to connect directly to your design files and automatically extract component names, material types, and quantity data, thereby automating the creation of your bill of materials.

A key strength of the module is its universal compatibility. It supports a wide range of standard industry file formats, ensuring a smooth connection to your design tools. Supported file types include:

  • IFC
  • Revit
  • DWG
  • NWF

💡 Crucial Prerequisite: 

For the module to function correctly, the uploaded BIM model must contain the necessary property sets that define components and their associated quantities (e.g., Volume, Weight, Area). ORIS extracts this pre-existing data directly from the model; it does not calculate quantity takeoffs itself. This means the model must be properly structured with the required property sets before you begin.

With this foundation, the open BIM Module becomes a powerful engine for rapid, accurate, and repeatable carbon assessment, which we will explore in detail next.

 

3. Deep Dive: Mastering the open BIM Module Workflow

[Watch an interactive product demo]

This section provides a comprehensive guide to leveraging the open BIM Module for maximum efficiency and accuracy. Mastering this workflow is the key to transforming carbon assessment from a separate, periodic task into a seamless and integral part of the design and engineering process.

3.1 The Core Task: Mapping Model Data to a Carbon Database

Once your model is uploaded, the core function of the open BIM Module is a two-stage mapping process.

First, you instruct the platform on which properties to extract from your BIM model to structure your data. Second, you link that extracted information to specific materials within a certified carbon database.

Follow these steps to complete the mapping process:

  1. Upload your model: Upload your model in the viewer, then click on “Map Quantities”.
  2. Set Project Details: Once your model is loaded, confirm the initial assessment details. This includes the assessment name (which defaults to the file name), currency, project location, and the target Workspace where the final assessment will be saved.
  3. Extract Model Properties: In the "Map Quantities" tab, use the dropdown menus on the left to select the properties from your model that define the structure of your data. A common and effective approach is to group first by a high-level property like Component Name and then add a second level of grouping by Material. This organizes your data logically (e.g., all "Deck" components made of "Concrete").
  4. Select Quantity Properties: For each group of components you've defined, you must now assign the correct quantity property from the model. For example, you would select the Volume property for concrete elements and the Weight property for steel elements.
  5. Choose the Material Library: Navigate to the "Material Table" view and select the correct, compliant material library for your project's region and requirements, such as the Danish InfraLCA library for projects in Denmark.
  6. Create and Assign Materials: In the "Material Table," create all the materials your project requires by searching the selected library. Once all materials are defined in this table, return to the "Quantity Table" view to assign them to the corresponding component groups extracted from the BIM model.
  7. Create project: After completing all necessary steps, select "Create project". This action automatically generates a material assessment, populated with all information seamlessly transferred from the BIM module.

3.2 Pro-Tip for Accuracy: Bridge the Gaps with Templates

[Watch it in Action (<1 min)]

Templates let you enrich your BIM models to include key elements that aren't yet modelled in your carbon assessments, such as steel reinforcement in concrete or bond coats between asphalt layers.

Get accurate estimates even with early-stage or light geometry models while ensuring your calculations reflect reality.

For example, to create a "Reinforced Concrete" template, follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to the Template Table: Go to the "Template Table" view within the module.
  2. Create a New Template: Click to create a new template, name it "Reinforced Concrete," and set its base unit to cubic meters (m³).
  3. Define the Composition: Add the materials that make up the template. For every 1 m³ of this "Reinforced Concrete" template, specify that it contains:
    • 1 m³ of your chosen concrete material.
    • 140 kg of your chosen steel reinforcement material.
  4. Apply the Template: Return to the "Quantity Table" and, for the relevant concrete components (like the deck), assign this newly created template instead of a single material.

The platform will now automatically calculate the carbon impact of both the concrete and the associated steel reinforcement based on the modeled volume.

3.3 Work Scalable: Export & Import Configurations

[Watch it in Action (<1 min)]

The Export/Import Configuration feature lets you save your full BIM-LCA mapping setup and instantly reuse it for new model versions or design alternatives. Enable faster, more consistent calculations across iterations and teams. No more remapping the same materials every time.

The workflow is designed for simplicity and repetition:

  1. Set Up Once: Complete the full data mapping process for your initial model, including creating all necessary materials and templates.
  2. Export: Once you are satisfied with the setup, click the 'Export Configuration' button. Crucially, ensure you select the 'whole row configuration' option to save the entire mapping logic.
  3. Re-Use: When you receive a new version of the model or want to assess an alternative design, simply upload the new file. Then, use the 'Import' button to select your saved configuration file. The platform will automatically re-apply your entire mapping setup to all matching components in the new model.

 

ℹ️ Note: 

The import function will only succeed for components where the property sets in the new model are identical to those in the original. As long as you maintain consistent data structures, this process will automate the re-mapping and ensure a consistent methodology is used across all assessments, even when different team members are working on the project.

 

This process dramatically accelerates the analysis of design iterations.

3.4 AI-Powered Acceleration: Using the AI Mapping Feature

[Watch it in Action (<1 min)]

The AI Mapping feature is a new capability (currently in beta) designed to significantly accelerate the initial setup process for a carbon assessment. The AI engine analyzes the components you've extracted from your model, searches the selected carbon database for the most relevant materials, and automatically attempts to match the quantity units, even defining conversion factors if necessary.

To use this feature effectively, keep the following tips in mind:

  • Best Use Case: The AI Mapping tool is ideal for the very first analysis of a new model. It quickly generates a comprehensive baseline mapping, saving you from having to create and assign every material from scratch.
  • Review and Refine: The AI provides suggestions, but you remain in full control. You can review each mapping and choose to accept, reject, or modify the AI's choices to ensure complete accuracy.
  • Transition to Manual Configuration: After using the AI to create and refine your initial setup, it is recommended to then Export this validated configuration. For all subsequent model versions and design iterations, rely on the Export/Import feature to ensure absolute consistency and repeatability in your analysis.

💡 Pro Tip: 

To accelerate the process, users can accept materials that are close to the required ones and then modify them later in the Materials Table.

Once your bill of materials has been populated using the powerful tools in the open BIM module, the final steps are to account for transportation impacts and analyze the comprehensive results.

ℹ️ Note: 

The AI Mapping feature currently does not cover templates. Template configuration must be completed manually afterwards.

 

4. Finalising the Assessment and Interpreting Results

This final section covers the last steps required to complete your carbon assessment, a process common to both manual and BIM-driven workflows. More importantly, it explains how to interpret the data-rich dashboards to derive actionable insights that can guide design decisions.

4.1 Accounting for Transportation (A4 Stage)

[Watch an interactive product demo]

The "Site Selection" step is where you calculate the carbon impact of transporting materials from their point of origin to the project site. This corresponds to the A4 (Transport) stage of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

The ORIS platform offers two primary approaches for this calculation:

  • Average Distances: This is the preferred and most practical method for early-stage design when specific supplier locations are unknown. To use this method, set the search radius to zero to bypass the map of production sites, then directly input an average transportation distance and vehicle speed.
  • Production Sites: For a more detailed analysis, you can use the interactive map to select from a database of real production sites. By setting a search radius around your project location and refining the site types filters, the platform will identify relevant suppliers (e.g., concrete plants, quarries), allowing for more precise distance calculations.

4.2 Accounting for Construction Activities (A5 Stage)

[Watch an interactive product demo]

The A5 stage within an ORIS material assessment accounts for all the construction activities and the subsequent transport of excavated materials.

💡 Pro Tip: 

When creating an assessment, it is recommended to select the A1-A5 project template. Choosing this ensures that, even if you initially focus on material production (A1-A3) and transport (A4), you retain the flexibility to return and incorporate construction data at a later stage.

To include the emissions associated with the A5 stage, you must add operations within the Bill of Quantity step, alongside your material inputs.

  1. Access the Operations Library: ORIS provides a database of operations in its default operation library. Alternatively, if you have typical equipment or specific construction activities utilized on your project, you can create your own operation library.
  2. Define Equipment and Constraints:
    • You can explore the default operation library, select relevant operations (e.g., concrete laying), and then edit everything to reflect the project specific constraints. This customization allows you to detail the information received from the contractor regarding the equipment, productivity, and so on. You can modify the equipment, quantity, productivity, and shift duration.
    • The platform estimates the total energy consumed on the A5 stage thanks to defined parameters, thereby accounting for the energy consumption at the construction stage.
    • Key parameters used for these early estimates include:
      1. The equipment included in the operation.
      2. The productivity of the equipment.
      3. The energy type (fuel type), and energy usage. You can refine assumptions by defining the specific fuel type being used by the truck/equipment.

By defining these operations, the platform calculates the embodied carbon associated with the use of equipment, thereby providing a more comprehensive A1 to A5 calculation.

4.3 Interpreting the Assessment Dashboard

[Watch an interactive product demo]

Upon completing the Site Selection step, you are taken to the single assessment dashboard. Its purpose is to provide an immediate, clear, and visual overview of your project's total carbon footprint and to help you instantly identify the primary carbon hotspots.

The dashboard offers several key analytical views to help you derive insights:

  • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): At the top of the dashboard, you will find the headline figures for the project, including the total Carbon Footprint, estimated Cost, and total Materials Quantity.
  • Donut Charts: These intuitive charts provide a quick visual breakdown of the carbon footprint by material or component. This allows you to see at a glance which elements are the largest contributors to the project's overall emissions.
  • Breakdown per Material: A detailed bar chart allows for a deeper analysis, showing the carbon impact of individual materials broken down by their constituent LCA stages (A1-A3, A4, etc.).
  • Breakdown by Lifecycle Stage: A high-level bar chart separates the project's total carbon impact into its primary lifecycle stages: A1-A3 (material production), A4 (transportation), and A5 (on-site construction). This helps you pinpoint which stage is driving the project's emissions.

 

5. Evaluating Design Alternatives for Decision-Making

[Watch an interactive product demo]

The true value of the ORIS platform is realized when you move beyond single calculations and begin comparing multiple design options. This comparison feature is the ultimate decision-making tool, empowering engineers and designers to make informed, data-driven choices that actively reduce a project's environmental impact.

To evaluate alternatives, you can either duplicate an existing assessment to test minor changes (like swapping one material for another) or create an entirely new assessment from an alternative BIM model. Once you have multiple assessments, the Comparison Dashboard brings them together.

Follow these steps to effectively compare your design options:

  1. Launch the Comparison: From your baseline or primary assessment's dashboard, click the 'Compare Results' button. This design will automatically be set as the reference point for the comparison.
  2. Select Designs: The Comparison Dashboard will open, showing your baseline design compared to all other assessments in the same Workspace. You can use the selection tools to choose exactly which designs you want to include in your analysis.
  3. Analyze the Visuals: The dashboard presents a series of charts that visually compare the performance of each selected design. Key views include the total carbon footprint, a breakdown by lifecycle stage (A1-A5), and a comparison by material category. Pay special attention to the 'Differences' tab, which provides a powerful view of how designs perform against each other in specific lifecycle stages or material categories, helping you pinpoint the exact sources of carbon reduction.
  4. Export for Reporting: For use in external reports and presentations, you can easily export the data. The platform allows you to download the complete comparison data as a CSV file or simply copy and paste the summary tables into your documents.

 

6. Structuring Comprehensive Analysis with Project Portfolios

The Project Portfolio feature is crucial for managing and comparing complex or large-scale projects that involve multiple material assessments or structures. This functionality allows users to combine individual assessment 'pieces' into a unified project 'puzzle'.

6.1 Creating and Defining Project Scenarios with Portfolios

[Watch an interactive product demo]

A portfolio, (also referred to as a project group), helps create larger scale scenarios by aggregating the results of multiple material assessments. This is particularly useful for projects involving several distinct structures, such as a road, a bridge, and a tunnel.

  1. Grouping Assessments: Users group different assessments (e.g., a Walls assessment and a Floors assessment) to form a complete project scenario, allowing them to view these separate elements together.
  2. Higher-Level View: By creating a portfolio, you achieve a higher-level view of the entire ecosystem, aggregating the results across all included structures.

ℹ️ Currency Requirement:

When creating a portfolio, it is mandatory to ensure that all selected assessments and the portfolio itself are configured using the same currency.

The dedicated portfolio dashboard provides essential aggregated data and visualization for decision-making:

  • Total Results: The dashboard displays the total cost and total carbon footprint for the entire combined project scenario.
  • Contribution Breakdown: Crucially, it details the contribution of each individual assessment (or structure) to the overall scenario result. This information helps structure optimization efforts by revealing which components or structures are the key contributors to the overall project emissions.
  • Access and Navigation: The feature also streamlines project navigation by allowing users to easily access the individual assessments contained within the portfolio.

6.2 Portfolio Comparison

[Watch an interactive product demo]

The ability to aggregate assessments allows for high-level strategic comparison. Users can compare multiple portfolios against one another. For instance, you could compare a 'Base Case Scenario Portfolio' (composed of initial design assessments) against an 'Alternative Scenario Portfolio' (composed of optimized design assessments) to evaluate strategic design choices. This comparison is conducted not just at the individual assessment level, but at the composite scenario level.

 

Additional Resources

Interactive demos

Explore ORIS in action and learn the core building blocks in just a few lessons.

 

Review our short videos

Short, practical videos for fast recap on key workflows.

 

Conversion factors calculator

Use the ORIS calculator to estimate conversion factor between quantity units.