Structure
😌 Simple Design
Structure Reuse
The reuse of a pre-existing structural system for a given percentage of the building's floor area. Note that these measures only affect upfront emissions; refurbishments are counted normally.
Primary Structural System
Specification of a structural system other than the system modeled in the baseline. Note that this is not strictly a carbon reduction measure, as the substitution of some structural systems with some others can lead to an increase in embodied emissions.
Secondary Structural System
Specification of a secondary structural system, and its associated percentage of the overall building structure.
Structural Material Intensity
Specification of the the structural material intensity based on the chosen material. The selections made in this field sample the distribution of bills of materials (not carbon intensities). Choices are described in narrative form below, and the underlying data is listed in C.Scale's whole life carbon methodology.
Concrete Specification
The specification of concrete for a given strength class. These estimates do not correspond to a specific EPD, as there are many options for achieving a certain level of performance. Concrete emissions are assessed regionally. It is a local material, rarely traveling more than 25 miles between production and use. Additionally, the relatively large number of concrete EPDs available in the United States (80,000+) supports a regional approach to measuring concrete emissions.
Steel Specification
The specification of hot-rolled structural steel, cold-formed steel (including steel deck), and reinforcing bar. These estimates do not correspond to a specific EPD, as there are many options for achieving a certain level of performance. Most carbon intensities for structural materials in C.Scale are national averages, as material supply chains for major structural materials are typically national (or global) in coverage.
Timber Specification
The specification of lumber, plywood/OSB, and engineered timber elements. These estimates do not correspond to a specific EPD, as there are many options for achieving a certain level of performance. Most carbon intensities for structural materials in C.Scale are national averages, as material supply chains for major structural materials are typically national (or global) in coverage.
Responsibly-Sourced Timber
In accordance with ISO 21930, the carbon content of biogenic materials can only be counted as carbon-storing if the timber comes from a forest managed with sustainable practices. An example of this is timber from an FSC-certified forest. For more information, please refer to C.Scale methodology for stored and avoided carbon emissions or the procurement guidance from the Climate Smart Wood Group.
In C.Scale, we identify three criteria contributing to the claim that wood products are responsibly sourced. While C.Scale does not prevent the user from counting the carbon storage benefits on other terms (as the list is nonexhaustive), we recommend meeting at least two out of the three criteria below in order to claim climate benefits from carbon storage.
🤓 Detailed Design
The Detailed Design configurator supports the input of project-specific data.
To begin using this feature, turn on Detailed Design within the Structure accordion, and then click "Configure Structure".


You can configure structural materials using the table and the following fields in the right-hand panel:
Element
The structural element where the material is applied.
Quantity
The quantity of material.
Material
The material used in the structural design.
Material Origin
The source of the material.
Service Life
Number of years over which at least half of the material will be replaced.
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