Sustainable building related new demands for product information and product model based design

This paper describes and summarises the recent results from studies carried out at VTT concerning the contents of construction product information and its use in different stages of building project and building maintenance from two specific points of view: 1) product model based building, 2) life cycle management of buildings. The objective of the work was to describe and define the contents of building product information needed from the view point of service life and life cycle design and maintenance of buildings considering the latest developments in building product standardisation especially from the European point of view. The paper also drafts alternative information management solutions for the use of this information considering the challenges of product model based building. The paper discusses the contents, transfer and use of construction product information in different stages of building project and building maintenance. The subject is discussed and dealt with based on the premise that sustainable building will significantly increase the needs of product specific information both in building processes as well as during the maintenance of buildings. Design for service life and sustainability requires new information including for example service life information, LCA data and information on harmful chemicals and emissions. Design for service life and sustainability may also require detailed information about technical performance of products. Because of the abundance of the needed information, and the different needs in different stages of building projects, efficient information technological solutions are needed.