The construction sector is increasingly subjected to environmental pressure: environmental product declarations, low energy buildings…However, stakeholders are not always properly trained to be able to analyse the environmental performances of construction products. The thermal performances of new buildings have been framed by regulations for a few years, compelling architects to have a good control and knowledge of the use phase of buildings. On the opposite, embodied energy and carbon footprint of materials is less known, but progressively integrated in calls for tenders. 

The bearing structure (beams, columns, slabs…) has little influence on the use phase. For this reason alternative structures can be evaluated without changing its thermal behaviour. As structures still represent the major part of the weight of a construction, architects are interested in their environmental footprint, in particular the associated energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Such requests are often addressed to the Structural Long Products department of ArcelorMittal Research & Development generating the need for a consistent method to address them rapidly. 

The purpose of AMECO software is to assess the life cycle of composite structures of buildings or bridges, evaluating the environmental footprint, in particular the associated energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

It is based on the principles of Life Cycle Assessment, compliant with ISO 14040 & 44, and new EN 15804 with evaluation of impacts: Global Warming Potential (GWP), Primary Energy Consumption (PEC), Acidification & Eutrophication potential, Water consumption, ...

Ameco 3 is an extension of Ameco (version 2), which proposes to take into account the use phase of the building. It allows the estimation of energy needs for a variety of the building systems (heating, cooling…). Their calculation is based on several international norms such as ISO-13370, ISO-13789 and ISO-13790 as well as on European norm (EN 15316). The extension of the use phase is only available for buildings.

Ameco 3 is available in 16 European languages.

* AMECO download link provides freeware version of the software.

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