Input parameters

Every input parameter is used when performing calculations to determine potential scenarios for your project. To learn more about how these calculations are performed see “Calculations and Assumptions”.

Details Panel

The user inputs at this stage are to reference this building for the dashboard and for personal notes for this project.

Project Name: Input the name of your specific building, this will be used to populate the project panel on the dashboard and used for future reference.

Project ID: If you have a specific ID linked to this project enter it here for personal reference

Project Description: Enter a short project description for personal reference.

Notes: use this space to keep running notes of the project.

Design Inputs

Mandatory Inputs

These inputs are mandatory to create a baseline for the building

• Gross floor area: This is the expected gross floor area of the building for the specific section you are editing.

• Floor-to-Ceiling height: The floor to ceiling height is measured from the top surface of the floor to the bottom of the ceiling. Do not get this mistaken with floor to floor height which changes depending on the slab depth. A larger floor to ceiling height will tend to increase cost and carbon due to increasing column sizes to support the load.

• Number of stories: Input the expected number of stories for your project. This will help us determine the total height for the building and appropriate loading systems. Please note there may be uncertainty with increasingly tall buildings due to limited data on structural systems and increase influence from external forces.

Optional Inputs

These inputs can be adjusted to create alterations of the baseline to explore embodied carbon reduction strategies

Use Type:

• Use Type: The use type can be office or residential. This will influence the loading system. For office construction loading systems to optimize free space are selected.

Substructure:

• Soil bearing capacity: The soils bearing capacity is used to calculate the foundation requirements of the project. This can be found from determine the soul type of the project or looking a municipal documents.

• Foundation type: Four foundation types can be selected for any design. This is highly dependant on your site and will need consultation with a structural engineer. Nonetheless, different options can be iterated through here to see how a large contributor to carbon can be reduced.

• Stratum depth: If "deep foundation" is selected an approximate stratum depth must be entered. We do not have the capability to determine the exact depth of deep foundation as that would require an analysis of the soil conditions. Therefore, at this time we assume the foundation will run to the stratum.

• Underground Stories: You can input up to 10 underground stories. A consistent wall thickness and slab thickness are used for calculations of 8in and 6in of concrete respectively.

Structure:

• Material: Timber, concrete, or steel can be selected for the frame material. This material will be used for the beams and columns and will set some restrictions on the compatibility of the other inputs such as stories, lateral loading system types, and slab types. For details of compatibility see the "Calculations and assumptions section". Default set to concrete.

• Loading system: The loading system is used to resist lateral forces such as wind and seismic. Three options can be selected: concrete cores, braced frames, and shear walls. Note that not all loading systems are compatible with all material types and building heights.

• Slab types: Seven different slab types are loaded into the software and can be iterated through. Structural slabs are a large contributor of embodied carbon and can strategic reduction here can make a large impact.

• Structural grid: Set a grid size to be considered, ranging from 3 to 18. This assumes equal spacing in the X and Y directions. Reducing your grid size will often reduce the cost and carbon of the structure, but will also reduce the free space. Larger spans also have limited material compatibilities further increasing carbon emissions. See “Calculations and Assumptions” for more details on compatibilities. Default set to 5m.

Loads:

• Live Load: The load produced by the use and occupancy of the building. the expected live load of the building is estimated by the use case. Set to 2.5 kN/m2 by default.

• Superimposed dead load: Non-structural dead loads that remain permanently on the structure such as partition or interior walls, floor screeding, floor finish, ceiling loads, and MEP pipes and fixtures, etc. Set to 1.5 kN/m2 by default.

Facade/enclosure:

In this section you can select different wall and roof assemblies with the option of pre-set assemblies or custom assemblies. See "envelope details" for breakdowns of the assemblies and carbon/cost numbers.

• Wall assemblies: Thirteen different preset wall assemblies are included. If "Custom enclosure" toggled, the Interior support, Interior insulation, Sheathing , Exterior insulation, and Exterior finish can be adjusted.

• Roof assemblies: Four different preset roof assemblies are included. If "Custom enclosure" toggled, the structure, insulation, membranes, and finish can be adjusted.

• Window frame material: Aluminum, PVC, fiberglass, and wood window frame material can be selected.

• Window glazing type: The glazing type includes different combinations of thickness and coatings. Each different combination of glazing and frame has a different embodied carbon and cost effect.

Cost Parameters

To determine the cost of the construction, data has been taken from our commercial partners, RSMeans, and 1Build for average material and labor costs. These can be edited at any time for specific materials you may want to consider. Please note that the projects costs will not be accurate for your specific context, the cost values are only to get a relative estimate of premiums.

Emissions Parameters

Average emissions data has been taken from openEPD for timer, concrete, steel, and rebar. These can be edited at any time for specific materials you may want to consider.

After verifying all the inputs you can run the design analysis. This will generate possible building scenarios on the graph on the right. Each point on the graph is a different building scenario in timber, concrete and steel frames. To view the scenario you can click on the point on the graph to get a breakdown of that building.