Change materials

Buildings Assessments Carbon Designer 3D
1

Hello,

I new to Carbon Designer 3D.

It’s not clear to me why this tool doesn’t provide access to the whole EPD database.
For instance, I want to substitute structural steel colums and select a different % of recycled content.
Attached is a first image of the available resources for steel colums.
Can you please support me?

CD3D_missingEPD
CD3D_missingEPD1797×842 80 KB

Moreover, is it possible to change the transport distance of the materials?

Finally, a part from the available resources (youtube videos and explanatory pages about CD3D) where can I found background information about the calculation of CD3D? I am interested in the assumptions made by the tool and the main differences with traditional One Click LCA tool for LCA.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you!
Best regards

2

Hi Luca,

Here’s a breakdown of how data availability and settings work in Carbon Designer:

Data Restrictions in Carbon Designer

The data you can use in Carbon Designer, and other building tools, is often limited by regulatory or certification rules. For example, a tool might need to follow specific standards or require full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data instead of just Global Warming Potential (GWP).

  • European Tools: If you’re using a European tool, like Level(s) +A2 (full LCA), you’ll only be able to use data that includes the full range of +A2 emissions. This typically means your data needs to be published in Europe.
  • US Tools: US tools have different data restrictions, often only allowing TRACI data. This can limit your selection of non-structural materials compared to what’s available in Europe.

Transportation Settings

While you cannot change transportation settings directly within Carbon Designer 3D, you can customize them once you export your design into a project.

Carbon Designer 3D vs. Calculation Tools

The results you see in Carbon Designer 3D are now virtually identical to what you’d get from your chosen building LCA tool. Previously, there might have been slight differences in the calculation model, but now the default settings in Carbon Designer (including transport and end-of-life) match those of your selected LCA tool.

More Information

You might find these articles in our help center useful: Carbon Designer 3D | One Click LCA

Let me know if you have any other questions!