LOKI carbon calculator
The IRCA has decided to engage in a complete analysis of the carbon footprint of all its operations in order to be able to efficiently undertake actions in the service of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. EFLA engineering office was commissioned to develop a carbon calculator in co-operation with the IRCA, with the stated goal being to increase the overall knowledge and understanding of the carbon footprint of IRCA operations, with a roadmap towards reducing said footprint. The carbon footprint calculator received the name LOKI, an abbreviation which, in Icelandic, stands for “life-span analysis and carbon footprint of infrastructure.”
LOKI carbon calculator
Development and use of the LOKI carbon calculator:
LOKI is a calculator constructed in a spreadsheet editor which streamlines and coordinates life-span analysis for infrastructure construction, made in accordance with a Nordic model and adapted to domestic necessities. The LOKI carbon calculator uses quantity numbers from infrastructure project design and draws data from the IRCA’s operational document. Included in the calculator are release coefficients which reflect Icelandic conditions. The calculator can be adjusted based on the material used, making it possible to study the effects of individual materials, such as concrete including a lower ratio of cement, and therefore a smaller carbon footprint; the recycling and re-use of material used in construction, such as asphalt or raw materials; the life-span of infrastructure and possibilities towards its maintenance and renewal, as well as many more factors concerning the carbon footprint in the course of infrastructure project’s lifetime. LOKI can be used during any stage of a project’s design process, but the accuracy of these calculations increases once the project comes closer to being constructed.
This initial edition of LOKI oversees the production of raw materials and their transporting to the construction area, the construction process itself, and any larger maintenance projects during the infrastructure’s lifetime. In the coming years, LOKI will be further developed to be able to cover more factors, and in co-ordination with changes to coefficients, energy production and raw material used. The next edition of LOKI will allow users to develop a roadmap consisting of all lifetime maintenance, release due to servicing and operation, whilst also factoring in changes in energy usage and quantity during construction.
LOKI is intended for use in development of all construction projects on the current Transport Plan, from initial drafts to operational design. LOKI will furthermore be accessible to any interested parties, with hope towards the calculator proving useful to other development parties, be it directly or as an inspiration/basis for their own life-span analysis.