Material mapping of building elements locally

Data & Construction Materials
1

Good day,
I am a student at the university of ibadan Nigeria.
I am working on LCA-BIM. I am having problem mapping some of my local materials (e.g. concrete) locally.
So I want to solicit for ideas, should I map by proxy, or should I use EPD generators?
what will be the impact on analysis considering both options

2

Hi Abdulqudus, welcome to the community and thanks for posting — it’s great to see your interest in LCA-BIM integration!

Mapping Local Materials in LCA: Two Main Paths to Consider

You raised a really important question, and there are a couple of valid approaches depending on the data you have access to and your project goals:

1. Mapping by Proxy

This is a common and accepted approach, especially when local Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) aren’t available:

  • :white_check_mark: Pros: Quick and widely used in both early-stage assessments and academic projects. You can find suitable equivalents in databases like One Click LCA’s materials database, Ökobaudat, or ICE.
  • :warning: Cons: May not fully reflect the carbon intensity or composition of materials produced in your region, which introduces uncertainty in results.

Tip: Choose proxies based on key performance attributes (e.g., strength class for concrete), mix design similarities, and regional factors when possible.

2. Using EPDs (if available locally)

Just to clarify — when you mentioned “EPD generators,” did you mean using existing third-party verified EPDs published for similar materials?

  • :white_check_mark: Pros: These are highly reliable, transparent, and compliant with ISO/EN standards, offering better data quality than generic proxies.
  • :warning: Cons: EPDs are often specific to regions or manufacturers, so availability for Nigerian materials may be limited.

If that’s what you meant, then yes — using local or regional EPDs is a great step up from proxy data and can significantly improve the credibility of your analysis.

3. Impact on LCA Results

  • Proxy mapping is practical but introduces generalization.
  • Using EPDs (if available) increases specificity and is more aligned with real-world data.

If you’re unsure which proxies to use or want help finding similar EPDs, feel free to share what material you’re mapping (e.g. specific concrete mix). I’d be happy to point you to relevant resources or help you interpret their impact.

Steven