WC3 Carbon App

Understanding your plan

The WC3 app operates on a freemium model to give you immediate access to our core calculation engine.

Free Sandbox

Anyone can use the app for free. Your data is strictly saved locally to your current browser. You have full access to A1-A5 calculations, benchmarking, and custom materials. Limits: 20 material rows, 2 saved scenarios, no cloud storage.

Pro Plan

Upgrading to Pro, or starting a 30-day free trial, unlocks unlimited scale and unrestricted cloud storage via the "My Projects" hub. It also unlocks premium features: the Lifecycle Module (B-D), AI Analysis, and PDF Reporting.

Student Plan

Verified academics receive free access to Pro-tier features via an access code.

You can manage your subscription, start a free trial, or enter a student code by clicking the "Account" icon in the header.

Understanding the carbon lifecycle (A to D)

WC3 is a Cradle-to-Grave Embodied Carbon calculator, compliant with EN 15978/EN 17472. This covers emissions generated from raw material extraction all the way through to the asset's end of life. Each module is described below.

• A1-A3 (Product Stage): Emissions from raw material supply, transport to the factory, and manufacturing of the products.

• A4 (Transport Stage): Emissions from transporting the finished products from the factory gate to your project site.

• A5 (Construction Stage): Emissions generated from on-site construction, including biomass removal, earthworks fuel, and equipment energy.

• B4 (Material Replacement): Emissions from replacing materials whose service life is shorter than the project's design life.

• C1-C4 (End of Life): Emissions from deconstruction, transport to waste facilities, recycling processing, and landfill degradation.

• D (Recovery Potential): The potential carbon credits (benefits) of recycling materials, preventing the need for virgin resources in future projects.

1. The WC3 User Interface

Your main controls are in the header at the top of the page.

• Project Name: Click on "Untitled Project" to name your project. This is auto-saved.

• My Projects (Pro Feature): Click to open your list of cloud-saved projects. You can load a project, create a new one, or delete old ones from this modal.

• Save Status (Pro Feature): An icon shows the status of your project ("Saving...", "Saved", or "Unsaved changes") when cloud saving is available.

• New Project: Creates a new, blank project. This will clear your current workspace (your existing project is auto-saved if you are a Pro user).

• Scenarios: Save a snapshot of your project's current state. Free users save to local storage (max 2); Pro users save to the cloud (unlimited).

• AI Analysis (Pro Feature): Generates an AI-powered review of your inputs, highlighting carbon hotspots, reduction opportunities, and data anomalies.

• Import/Export:

  • Export: Saves your entire project (all tabs) to a local .json file on your computer. This is the primary way to save your work on the free/student plan.

  • Import: Click to load a project from a .json file. This will overwrite your current workspace.

• Print Report (Pro Feature): Generates a multi-page, branded PDF of your project's summary and data tables.

• Account Menu: Click the "person" icon to manage your subscription, access the Student Plan modal, find help links, or log out.

2. Data Entry Workflow

You can populate your project in two primary ways:

Option A: Civil Site Design Import

This feature is available in the December 2025 update to Civil Site Design. For civil designers, this is the fastest way to get started and is available to all users.

1. From Civil Site Design (CSD): In your CSD software, generate the "WC3 Export" in the Sectional Volumes window. This creates a .json file.

2. From a Previous WC3 Save: Use a .json file you previously saved using the "Export Project" button.

3. Import the File: In the WC3 App header, click the "Import Project" button. This will overwrite your current workspace. Select your .json file, and the app will automatically populate all tabs with your project data.

4. Review Your Data: Your model is now 90% complete. You must still review the imported data and select your desired Energy Sources in the A4 and A5 tabs to complete the calculation.

Option B: Manual Data Entry

Use the main navigation tabs (A1-A3, A4, A5) to enter your quantities manually. Click the + Add Row button in any card to add a new item.

3. A1-A3 Materials Tab

This is where you will input all the physical materials for your project. If importing from Civil Site Design, this tab will be pre-populated for review.

1. Data Entry: Fill in the white cells. Grey cells are auto-calculated.

2. In-Line Calculators: For complex shapes, click the Calculator Icon next to the quantity input. WC3 includes built-in geometry calculators for Edging (Cross-Sectional Area), Pits (Concrete Volume), and Pipes (Linear Density).

3. Pipe Trenching Sub-Rows: Click the arrow icon next to any pipe to expand its sub-row. Here, you can define trench width, depth, and backfill material.

4. Using an EPD: Click the "EPD" button on any row to override default industry averages with your own verified Environmental Product Declaration data.

5. Pro Tip: Use the "Duplicate" button (two squares) to quickly copy a row. Use the "X" button to delete a row.

A key feature of the A1-A3 tab is the ability to use your own custom materials. Before you can select a composite mix like reinforced concrete or a custom material, you must first create it. This is done in the "Data Sources" tab (see Section 7).

4. A4 Transport Tab

This tab calculates the emissions from hauling materials.

Transport Mode: Select your primary haulage vehicle (e.g., "Articulated Truck").

Energy Source:

• To use the standard diesel calculation (t.km), select "Diesel Fuel".

• To use the electric calculation (kWh/t.km), select your state's electricity grid (e.g., "Electricity: NSW/ACT") or "Renewable Energy".

• You may also add a custom fuel in the Data Sources tab.

Distances: Enter the one-way distances from your suppliers to the project site. The app will automatically calculate the full return journey.

Haulage Calculations: This table is auto-calculated based on the material masses from A1-A3 and the variables you just set.

General & Site Haulage: This table is for manual, distance-based transport. Use this for items not tied to bulk materials, like floating an excavator to the site or daily site vehicle travel. You can select the vehicle type and energy source for each entry.

5. A5 Construction Tab

This tab calculates the emissions from on-site construction activities. It is split into four sections.

Site Clearing

This calculates the biogenic carbon release from removing biomass.

1. Vegetation Type: Select from "High-Density Forest" (high impact) or "Grassland" (low impact), or enter a custom factor if you have a specific ecological assessment.

2. Area: Enter the clearing footprint in hectares.

Earthworks

1. Select your Energy Source (Diesel or Electric).

2. The table header will dynamically update to show "Total Fuel (L)" or "Total Energy (kWh)".

3. Enter the Volume (m³) (in-situ) for your Cut/Fill activities. The app will use proprietary productivity factors to automatically calculate the total fuel or energy consumed.

Construction Activities (Trenching & Pavement)

This section is auto-calculated based on your inputs in the A1-A3 tab.

• For every "Pipe" you add, a "Trenching" activity is created.

• For every "Pavement" layer you add, a "Grading & Compaction" activity is created.

• The fuel/energy consumption is determined by the "Energy Source" dropdown at the top of this section.

General Site Activities

This section is for manually adding other on-site emissions. A default row is provided for site sheds/offices. You can add extra rows for specific equipment (e.g., Cranes, Generators).

1. Select an "Energy Source" (e.g., "Diesel Fuel" or "Electricity: NSW/ACT").

2. The "Unit" column will update automatically.

3. Enter the total Quantity (L or kWh) of energy used for that activity (e.g., "Site Office Power").

6. Lifecycle Tab (B-D) (Pro Feature)

This tab automates the complex, long-term footprint of your asset.

• Project Design Life: Set the overall intended life of your infrastructure (e.g., 50 years).

• B4 (Replacements): The app checks the service life of every material in A1-A3 against your Project Design Life, automatically calculating the emissions for future replacements. You can override the default service life values for all materials.

• C & D (End of Life): The app applies profiles from the NSW Embodied Carbon Databook to determine how much of your asset will be recycled vs. landfilled, calculating the resulting deconstruction (C1), transport (C2), processing (C3), and disposal (C4) emissions, alongside any recovery credits (D).

7. Analysing Your Results

As you add data, your results are calculated in real-time on the "Summary" and "Comparison" tabs.

Summary Tab

This is your main project dashboard.

• KPI Cards: At the top, you'll see the high-level totals for A1-A3, A4, and A5, giving you an instant overview.

• AI Analysis (Pro Feature): Click the "AI Analysis" button (in the header) to get a plain-English summary of your results, key hotspots, and data anomalies, which will appear in this section.

• Embodied Carbon Distribution: A doughnut chart showing the breakdown of carbon across the A1-A5 lifecycle stages.

• Project Summary and Benchmarking: This card displays your total footprint.

  • Click "Configure Benchmark" to set your project type (e.g., Urban Road) and size (m²).

  • The app will calculate your Carbon Intensity (kgCO₂e/m²) and compare your performance against industry baselines (e.g., "15% below benchmark").

  • You can also set a Target Reduction goal to track your progress.

• Results by Category: A detailed list showing the percentage and total CO₂e for each category, with an in-line bar chart for a quick visual scan.

• Top 5 Contributors: A ranked list of the specific materials driving your carbon footprint.

Breakdown Tab

Pro Feature: Pro users will have scenarios saved to each cloud project.

Student Plan: Student users can save up to 2 scenarios in their browser.

This tab allows you to compare different design options head-to-head.

1. Save Scenario A: First, finalise your "Baseline" design. Click the "Scenarios" button in the header and save it (e.g., as "Baseline Design").

2. Make Changes: Go back to the A1-A3 or A4 tabs and make your changes (e.g., swap virgin rock for recycled, or change transport distance).

3. Save Scenario B: Click the "Scenarios" button again and save your new version (e.g., as "Low-Carbon Option").

4. Compare: Go to the Comparison tab. Select "Baseline Design" in the first dropdown and "Low-Carbon Option" in the second.

5. Analyse: The tab will instantly update with a bar chart and table showing the exact kg CO₂e and % difference for every category.

8. Your Material Library

The Data Sources tab shows a read-only list of all default EC factors used in the app. It also allows you to create two types of custom materials:

• Add Custom Material: This allows you to add a simple material from a known EPD or data source. You can define it by mass (kgCO₂e/tonne), volume (kgCO₂e/m³), or as a fuel (kgCO₂e/litre).

• Create Composite: This is a powerful mix builder. It lets you combine multiple base materials by their % by Volume (e.g., 97% Crushed Rock + 3% Cement) to create a new, reusable material. The app automatically calculates the blended density and EC factor for your new composite.

Once you save a Custom or Composite material, it appears in the "Saved Materials" table and becomes available in all material dropdowns on the A1-A3 tab.

9. Methodology

The Methodology tab explains the app's calculation logic, system boundaries, and data sources. It also contains a "User Notes" section to record project-specific assumptions, which are saved with your project and printed in your PDF reports.