Developing a BIM-Integrated Framework for Embodied Carbon Assessment in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review and Expert Validation Study for Sri Lanka

Construction is responsible for 40% of global carbon emissions, yet embodied carbon (EC) assessment is rarely integrated into standard building design workflows in developing countries. This research presents and validates a BIM-integrated EC assessment framework specifically adapted to Sri Lanka, utilising the government’s Building Standard Rates (BSR) as the foundation for material quantity and cost data. The streamlined workflow combines Revit, Dynamo, and Excel for automated EC calculations across lifecycle stages A1–A5, informed by a systematic review of 75 peer-reviewed articles (2017–2025) and validation through structured interviews with five experienced domain professionals. Results demonstrate that BSR, when supplemented with material densities and transport data, enables automated EC calculations for typical building materials and construction elements. Expert validation confirmed strong technical feasibility, economic viability, and scalability. The framework offers significant advantages over manual approaches by automating EC quantification and reducing software licensing requirements compared to proprietary LCA tools. The framework’s modular design and transparent methodology make it generalisable for other developing economies with similar government construction documentation systems, providing practitioners and policymakers with a practical, cost-effective pathway to embedding life cycle assessment into standard construction practice.