Embodied Carbon Factors dialog box

Tekla Structural Designer
2021
Tekla Structural Designer

Embodied Carbon Factors dialog box

The Embodied Carbon Factors dialog box on the Home ribbon is used to add and to manage embodied carbon factors (ECFs). The order in which factors are arranged in the dialog determines the priority in which they are assigned to models.

Filters can be applied to make it easier to interrogate the list, these do not affect how the factors are subsequently applied to the model.

Note: Any changes made in the dialog will only apply to the current model until the factors are saved to the active global settings set.
The dialog box is shown below.

1. Category filter

The category filter contains a list of all item categories that it is possible to apply embodied carbon factors to.

Select a category in order to see the factors that have been previously defined in that category.

Some of these such as 'Cladding' are optional items and might not have any factors defined.

You cannot add new categories.

Additional filters are also provided which vary depending on the category selected. For example, when the Steel category is selected the filters are Grade and Section.

Note: For the UK Settings Set, some initial defaults have been provided for the Concrete, Metal Deck, Reinforcement, Steel, and Timber categories.

2. Entity filter

Each factor is associated with one or more variants within a specified category.

As there are potentially hundreds of factors that could be defined in any one category, the Entity filter provides a means of filtering the list to make it easier to interrogate a specific variant.

The Entity filter defaults to displaying all factors applicable to any variant. If this results in a long list that requires a lot of scrolling, you might choose to filter the list as follows:

  1. Unselect All in order to see a choice of variants that apply to the current category.
    • Click Show only used variants if you want to have the choice of variants reduced further to just those that exist in the currently open model.
  2. Select one or more variants in order to filter the main list accordingly.
    • Click Clear if you want to clear the selected variants and return to the default All setting.

3. Active flag


If the Active flag is unselected, the factor will not be applied to model.

4. Filtered list of embodied carbon factors

The list is displayed in accordance with the Category filter and Entity filter criteria. It also takes account of the specified View options.

The list can be reordered by selecting individual items and dragging them up or down. The order is very important because each entity in the model will adopt the first applicable factor it finds in the list.

The number of entities to which the factor currently applies is shown to the right of the item. When the list is reordered these numbers are instantly updated.

5. Embodied carbon factor item


When a factor is added its name and value appear in the list as shown.

Beneath the item to the left are its category and entity criteria, and on the next line, the entities to which it applies.

Beneath the item to the right the number of entities to which the factor currently applies is shown.

6. Number of entities the factor currently applies to


The number of entities to which a factor currently applies is shown to the right of the item. When the list is reordered this number is instantly updated.

7. Defined factors applied to possible entities message

Located underneath the list of factors, this message indicates for the current filtering criteria, the number of entities that have a factor applied, and the total number of entities in the model meeting the criteria.

Note: If the numbers don't match this indicates that the total embodied carbon will be under-reported.

8. Add factor

Add factor is used to add new factors within the category currently shown in the Category filter. Initially these would be available for the current model only.
Item Description

Active

  • selected - the factor will initially be active when added
  • unselected - the factor will initially be inactive when added

EPD

This flag is used to indicate that the factor has come from an EPD. To make this clear it is suggested that you include 'EPD' in the name.

Note: Flagging a factor as from an EPD in this way does not make it uneditable. (Users might wish to update factors when EPDs get updated due to new manufacturing practices, and they might wish to change the name, or the filter determining which entities the factor applies to.)

Name

The name that you assign to a factor should be an exclusive identifier, so that it can be clearly differentiated from other factors that exist in the same category.

Factor

  • defined in kgCO2/kg (metric units)
  • defined in lb av CO2 e/ib av (US customary units)
Category filter

The filters shown here will vary depending on the category. You can apply a filter in order to limit the range of applicability of the factor.

Note: The main category cannot be set from here. It has to be preselected in the Category filter on the Embodied Carbon Factors dialog before clicking Add factor.
Entity filter

You can apply an entity filter in order to further limit the range of applicability of the factor.

The variants available in the entity filter depend on the applied category filter. Accepting the default setting All would allow the factor to be applied to all variants within the current category filter.

Alternatively, unselect All in order to see a list of all variants to which the factor could potentially be applied. From this list you can then select one or more variants to which the factor will be exclusively applied.
  • Click Clear if you want to clear the selected variants and reselect.

  • Click Show only used variants to have the list only show those variants that have been used in the currently open model.

OK / Cancel

Click OK to add the factor to the list.

Note: Once factors have been added, the updated list should be saved to the currently active global settings in order to make it available to new models also.

9. Edit factor

Edit factor is used to edit existing factors within the category currently shown in the Category filter

Item Description

Active

  • selected - the factor will initially be active after editing
  • unselected - the factor will initially be inactive after editing

EPD

This flag is used to indicate that the factor has come from an EPD.

Note: Flagging a factor as from an EPD in this way does not make it uneditable. (Users might wish to update factors when EPDs get updated due to new manufacturing practices, and they might wish to change the name, or the filter determining which entities the factor applies to.)

Name

The name that you assign to a factor should be an exclusive identifier, so that it can be clearly differentiated from other factors that exist in the same category.

Factor

  • defined in kgCO2/kg (metric units), or
  • lb av CO2 e/ib av (US customary units)
Category filter

The filters shown here will vary depending on the category. You can apply a filter in order to limit the range of applicability of the factor.

Entity filter You can apply an entity filter in order to further limit the range of applicability of the factor.

The variants available in the entity filter depend on the applied category filter. Accepting the default setting All would allow the factor to be applied to all variants within the current category filter.

Alternatively, unselect All in order to see a list of all variants to which the factor could potentially be applied. From this list you can then select one or more variants to which the factor will be exclusively applied.
  • Click Clear if you want to clear the selected variants and reselect.

  • Click Show only used variants to have the list only show those variants that have been used in the currently open model.

OK / Cancel

Click OK to add the factor to the list.

Note: Initially any edits would apply to the current model only, but they can be saved to the currently active global settings in order to make them applicable to new models also.

10. Remove factor

If you select a factor in the main list and then click Remove factor it is deleted.

11. Export

Exports factors to a spreadsheet. You are given the choice to export:

  • All factors
  • Active factors
  • Used factors

12. Load and Save

Button Description

Load

Load carbon factors from the currently active global settings.
Warning: Any existing factors will be discarded.

Save

Save carbon factors to the currently active global settings.
Warning: Any existing factors in the currently active global settings will be discarded.

13. View options

View options apply to the display of the main list. When selected these apply as follows:

  • Active only - only those factors with the Active flag selected are displayed in the main list.
  • Entity details - the multiple entities text is expanded to list the entity details instead.

14. OK and Cancel

Button Description

OK

Commit all changes made in the viewer to the database.

Cancel

Closes the dialog box without saving changes.
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