BIM-integrated thermal analysis and building energy modeling in 3D-printed residential buildings

A transformation toward automated construction is happening in the construction industry to lower the construction time, cost, and environmental impacts. Construction 3D printing (C3DP) is one of the high -potential technologies driving digital transformation in the construction industry. Almost all technical advancements and activities in C3DP, however, have been focused on the construction phase. This leads to a knowledge gap about different aspects of the operation phase, such as energy performance. This study develops and evaluates a building energy modeling (BEM) workflow for C3DP based on building information modeling (BIM), using a case study and considering the specifics of 3D-printed buildings. To this aim, multiple scenarios are studied to assess the workflow and measure energy savings. These sce-narios include two climate zones in the U.S, normal and lightweight concrete, multiple wall configura-tions, and building layouts feasible with C3DP, such as curved wall designs. The BIM-to-BEM workflow showed proficiency, and the case study shows that common 3D-printed wall systems cannot meet the minimum requirements of the energy codes, especially in cold climate regions. Yet, compared to an unin-sulated 3D-printed building, a properly designed all-electric 3D-printed residential building could lead to 26% lower energy use intensity and 6.35 metric tons lower CO2 emissions. (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.