Developing a Carbon Footprint Calculator for Construction Buildings

Carbon footprint is commonly defined as the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly or indirectly as a result of an activity. The term carbon footprint has become the standard for measuring the environmental impact of activities in several sectors (e.g., transportation, energy, construction). While there have been several studies documenting calculators that estimate the carbon footprint of individual activities (e.g., driving a car, riding an airplane), the literature describing the process of carbon footprint calculations for construction activities remains limited. The few existing tools that calculate the carbon footprint of construction buildings do not take into account some of the major variables in the design and construction process (e.g., properties of selected materials, location of suppliers). In an effort to improve the accuracy of carbon footprint calculations, this paper presents a tool that estimates the total carbon footprint of construction buildings while taking into consideration project characteristics (e.g., size, location, material choices). The calculator relies on data collected from construction material suppliers and covers the various phases of a construction project. Through a case study, the research team illustrates the use of the tool to identify the activities with high carbon emissions.