A framework for evaluating CAD-integrated environmental assessment tools through the lens of LCA limitations

ABSTRACT:

Common ecodesign tools, such as LCA, remain challenging for designers, limiting their use in product design. At the interface between design and ecodesign, CAD-environmental assessment integration could be a solution. We aim to complement previous assessments of such tools, focused primarily on assessment capabilities, by proposing an evaluation framework based on common LCA limitations. Applied to three commercial CAD modules, it highlights differences in operational capabilities and limitations, providing a differentiated appreciation of CAD-integrated tools.