The structural engineer’s first priority in the Climate Emergency is to minimise carbon emissions. This can be done by minimising the use of new material as far as possible.
The Structural carbon tool has been created to help practising structural engineers make quantitative decisions as to how best to do this. The tool enables the user to:
- Estimate the amount of carbon in different parts of the design
- Identify carbon hotspots and opportunities to target for material reduction
- Understand rough differences between different structural options
- Communicate decision-making impacts with the design team
The Structural carbon tool is an open-source Excel-based carbon estimator. It has been developed by Elliott Wood Partnership Ltd in conjunction with The Institution of Structural Engineers.
It is aligned with the IStructE guide ‘How to calculate embodied carbon 2nd edition ’, and is therefore aligned with BS EN 15978, BS EN 15804 and the RICS professional statement ‘Whole life carbon assessment for the built environment’. The tool also uses the SCORS rating system proposed in 2020 by the Institution’s Climate Emergency Task Group.
Please note that the Excel file contains macros. If you are having difficulties downloading it, then it may have been blocked by your firewall due to these macros. Please speak to your company’s IT department before contacting the Institution.
Important Note: The RICS Professional Statement: Whole life carbon assessment for the built environment, has recently been updated and relaunched as 2nd Edition. The update provides a clear, consistent and accurate methodology for the whole life carbon measurement and reporting across all building types, and is aligned with BS EN 15978. The Institution’s guide ‘How to calculate embodied carbon’ and supporting tool ‘The Structural carbon tool’ will be updated in due course to align with the RICS PS 2nd Ed.
In partnership with
The Institution has worked alongside Elliot Wood to align the tool with the IStructE guide ‘
How to calculate embodied carbon’ and other existing guidance as part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability.