The Environmental Analysis Tool™ is an application developed by SOM that estimates equivalent carbon dioxide emissions embodied in structures for a variety of building types, materials and construction methods with consideration of deconstruction, material replacement, and reconstruction after use or a hazardous event. The Environmental Analysis Tool™ is intended for use by architects, engineers, students, developers and building owners.

With minimal information such as geographic location, number of floors and floor area designers can quantify equivalent carbon emissions embodied in a structure at early conceptual stages of design. This is facilitated, in part, by SOM’s advanced material quantity estimation algorithm based on hundreds of SOM-designed projects. Designers can refine all parameters throughout later phases of design and construction with project-specific values.

The carbon footprint of a building is sensitive to its lateral-resistance system with outcomes that may be significantly more favorable with enhanced seismic resistance systems such as base-isolation, viscous dampers and Pin Fuse Seismic Systems. The Environmental Analysis Tool™ integrates environmental performance with seismic risk to quantify the benefits of enhanced seismic performance with regards to damage mitigation and environmental impacts. A cost/benefit component is incorporated to communicate benefits of enhanced seismic performance in fiscal measures.

HAZUS-based methods are employed for assessment of probabilistic damages in a seismic event. Damages are reported as a percentage of the total cost of the structure in a scenario expected loss component integrated into the Environmental Analysis Tool™. The Environmental Analysis Tool™ can be utilized in design of new construction, retrofit construction and assessment of existing structures.

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