IMPACT is a specification and database for software developers to enable the production of software tools that carry out consistent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC). IES, who are a partner in the consortium funded by the Technology Strategy Board to develop IMPACT, will be the first to release IMPACT compliant software tools. Other developers will be able to develop and release IMPACT tools later on.
IMPACT is based around interoperable Building Information Modelling (BIM) where the user attributes sharable information to drawn or scheduled entities, in this case environmental and cost information. This may be done as a ‘check’ at particular stages in design development or iteratively as part of the user’s general workflow. Put simply, IMPACT measures the quantity information in the BIM and multiplies this with environmental impact and cost ‘rates’ to produce an overall impact and cost for the whole or a selected part of the design. Fundamentally, the results generated allow the user to identify aspects of the design where cost and environmental ‘savings’ can be made. In addition, overall results for designs are comparable to assess performance.
90,753
2008-09-01 to 2011-02-28
Collaborative R&D
Awaiting Public Summary
42,192
2007-01-01 to 2009-06-30
Collaborative R&D
Awaiting Public Summary
90,000
2006-06-01 to 2007-12-31
Legacy Department of Trade & Industry
Electromagnetic (EM) signals constitute a very specific, but ''extreme'' environment for buildings. Where security is a priority the ability of a building, and its component parts, to shield internal/external EM signals will be an essential factor in the building fulfilling its purpose. One of the project partners have invented a novel type of material which has the potential to be effectively incorporated into concrete-based construction products such as blocks, tiles and mortars. Such products are expected to find a ready market in a range of civil and military applications in which security is a paramount concern. By bringing together the inventors with a leading research provider, producer and user the project will develop and demonstrate to users the cost effective application of innovative concrete-based technologies in shielding against undesirable EM signals to provide the level of security required for buildings in a range of sectors.