ClarkDietrich Launches Embodied Carbon Calculator

by David Flaherty | 9 January 2026 9:28 am

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ClarkDietrich, a manufacturer of cold-formed steel framing and accessories, has launched a new digital tool to quickly estimate the embodied carbon of structural steel-framed walls. The Embodied Carbon Calculator (ECC), available for free on ClarkDietrich’s website[2], helps architects, specifiers, and contractors understand the carbon impact of their steel framing[3] choices and evaluate options, such as standard versus low embodied carbon (LEC) steel, to support lower-impact building designs.
“When we launched our line of LEC steel framing last year, we heard from building teams across the country who were excited to be able to better meet their projects’ carbon reduction goals. With this calculator, it’s now easier and more accessible than ever for sustainability-focused teams to quickly evaluate those reduction goals against the types of framing available (LEC vs. standard), and make purchasing decisions based on third-party certified EPD data,” said Adam Shoemaker, business development director for ClarkDietrich.
Users enter wall dimensions and framing details (stud spacing, size, bracing, track, etc.) to calculate total steel weight, and the calculator instantly converts the weight into embodied carbon (Global Warming Potential, GWP) and shows the embodied carbon reductions between standard framing and LEC framing, measured in kilograms CO₂e per metric ton of steel and in percent savings.
The tool also provides comparative facts to help contextualize the carbon savings. For instance, 100,000 kg of CO₂ is equivalent to more than 11,000 gallons of gasoline. These equivalency statistics, leveraging data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), help architects and building owners share the impact of their green building solutions in a way that relates to everyday life.
The Embodied Carbon Calculator is part of ClarkDietrich’s iTools program.  Coming soon, ClarkDietrich will also be adding an Embodied Carbon Calculator for non-structural steel framing to the site.

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/news/clarkdietrich-launches-embodied-carbon-calculator/

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