What is wall assembly Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

Wall assembly LCA quantifies the environmental impact of building enclosure materials across their lifecycle. Key metrics include Global Warming Potential (GWP, measured in kgCO₂e), acidification potential (kgSO₂e), eutrophication potential (kgNe), ozone depletion (kgCFC-11e), primary energy non-renewable (MJ), and freshwater use (m³). LCA data is used for LEED v4, Living Building Challenge, BREEAM, and Passive House documentation.

What EPD databases does Strata LCA connect to?

Strata LCA connects to four EPD databases: (1) EC3/openEPD, 90,000+ EPDs from Building Transparency, requires a free API key from buildingtransparency.org; (2) Ökobaudat, German EPD database by the Federal Ministry for Housing, completely free with no key required; (3) ECO Portal, EU soda4LCA platform operated by thinkstep, free; (4) USDA LCA Commons, US bio-based and agricultural materials, free. All four sources are accessible directly in the Explore tab.

How does constrained wall assembly optimization work?

Constrained optimization lets you lock specific wall layers (e.g., fix your exterior cladding and structural layer) while leaving other layers open for the optimizer to fill from your material pool. The optimizer evaluates all valid material combinations, respects your locked layer choices, and returns the top 20 assemblies ranked by your weighted priorities, balancing embodied carbon (GWP), thermal performance (R-value), cost, or a custom weighting across all 8 LCA metrics.

Can Strata LCA export to Grasshopper and Revit?

Yes. Strata LCA exports wall assemblies as: (1) Grasshopper .gh files, real binary .gh format with all LCA data embedded as user text, compatible with Rhino 7/8; (2) IFC2x3 STEP files, with IfcWallStandardCase, IfcMaterialLayerSet, and LCA data in IfcPropertySet blocks, importable into Revit, ArchiCAD, and other BIM tools; (3) CSV, for documentation and spreadsheet workflows; (4) Rhino Compute, via API integration (Pro plan).

Is Strata LCA suitable for LEED v4 submissions?

Strata LCA generates assembly-level GWP, AP, EP, ODP, and primary energy data that supports LEED v4 Material and Resources credits (MR Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization, EPDs, Option 2). The tool uses EPD data from EC3 and Ökobaudat, which are ISO 14044 and EN 15804 compliant EPD programs. Export to CSV provides documentation for LEED submissions.

What is the difference between R-value and embodied carbon in wall LCA?

R-value measures thermal resistance (how well a wall assembly prevents heat transfer), expressed in ft²·°F·h/BTU (imperial) or m²·K/W (metric). Embodied carbon (GWP) measures the greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing and installing the materials, expressed in kgCO₂e per square meter. High R-value reduces operational energy use, while low embodied carbon reduces upfront environmental impact. Strata LCA optimizes both simultaneously using weighted scoring.

Can teams collaborate on wall assembly analysis in Strata LCA?

Yes, with an Enterprise plan. Strata LCA supports project-based collaboration where team members at the same organization can share complete pipeline states, including material selections, layer configurations, weights, and optimized results. Projects can be shared with all members of your organization or kept private. Individual sharing via link is also available on all paid plans.

How does Strata LCA compare to other LCA tools like One Click LCA or Tally?

Strata LCA specializes in wall assembly optimization rather than whole-building LCA. It uniquely offers constrained layer-by-layer optimization (define which layers are fixed and which to optimize), real-time comparison of up to 20 assembly options across 8 metrics simultaneously, and direct export to Grasshopper and IFC. It is free to start with no credit card required, making it accessible for early design explorations before committing to a full LCA platform.

Strata LCA: Wall Assembly Life Cycle Assessment

Free LCA tool for architects and engineers. Compare wall assemblies by embodied carbon, R-value, cost, and 8 environmental metrics.

What is Strata LCA?

Strata LCA is a web application that helps architects, structural engineers, and sustainability consultants compare wall assembly options using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data. It connects to four EPD databases (EC3/openEPD, Ökobaudat, ECO Portal, USDA LCA Commons) and includes 61 built-in materials with full LCA data.

Key Features

8 LCA metrics: Global Warming Potential (GWP/embodied carbon in kgCO₂e), Acidification Potential (kgSO₂e), Eutrophication Potential (kgNe), Ozone Depletion Potential (kgCFC-11e), Primary Energy Non-Renewable (MJ), Freshwater Use (m³), R-value (thermal resistance), and Material Cost
Live EPD databases: EC3/openEPD (90,000+ EPDs), Ökobaudat (German, free), ECO Portal (EU, free), USDA LCA Commons (US bio-based, free)
Constrained optimization: Lock the layers you know, let the optimizer find the best options for the rest
Side-by-side comparison: Radar charts, bar charts, scatter plots, and parallel coordinates across all 8 metrics
CSV import: Bring your own EPD data
BIM-ready exports: Grasshopper .gh, IFC2x3 (Revit-compatible), CSV, Rhino Compute
Enterprise project sharing: Share wall assembly analyses across your organization by project
LEED, Passive House, and Living Building Challenge compatible

6-Step Analysis Pipeline

Explore: Browse and select materials from built-in library or live EPD databases
Configure: Define wall layer structure; lock fixed layers, mark open layers for optimization
Weighted: Set importance weights for each of the 8 LCA metrics
Optimize: Run constrained optimization, get top 20 assemblies ranked by your priorities
Compare: Visualize and compare assemblies with interactive charts
Build: Review final assembly, export to Grasshopper/IFC/CSV

Pricing

Free ($0/month): Browse 61 materials, compare assemblies, weighted scoring, optimize assemblies, CSV export. No credit card required.

Pro ($29/month): Everything in Free, plus Grasshopper .gh export, IFC/Revit export, custom EPD CSV upload, unlimited assemblies, Rhino Compute, priority support.

Enterprise ($99/month): Everything in Pro, plus team project sharing, admin dashboard, API access, custom integrations, dedicated support.

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