Steel Building Tools & Calculators

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) Calculator This calculator allows the user—by providing verified reflectivity and emissivity values—to quickly find a given roof product's Solar Reflectance Index. SRI is the amount of total solar energy reflected away from a roof's surface. It is expressed as a percentage from 0 to 100%, or as a decimal from 0 to 1.00. Roof products with a SRI of 78 for low-sloped roofs and 29 for steep-sloped roofs can receive 1 point in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED-NC Version 2.2 Sustainable Sites Credit 7.2, Heat Island Effect: Roofing.

The calculator works in an Excel Spreadsheet environment and is available for download at the Cool Metal Roofing Coalition (CMRC) website's LEED information page. To find the calculator, clickLBNL Solar Reflectance Index Calculator and then scroll down to the Download SRI calculator link.

Energy Star Roofing Comparison Calculator This Energy Star Roofing Comparison Calculator is intended to roughly estimate the savings an Energy Star-qualified reflective roof can provide on a typical building. Projections are based on modeling simulations developed by the Department of Energy.

To link directly to the calculator, go toEnergy Star Roofing Comparison Calculator.

Department of Energy Cool Roof Calculator By inputting the verified reflectivity and emissivity values of a proposed roof system, this Department of Energy Cool Roof Calculator shows the annual cooling and heating savings that would be realized when compared to a black roof. Differences between non-black surfaces can be seen by printing out separate estimates for each and then manually comparing them.

To use the calculator, go toDOE Cool Roof Calculator.

RSMeans QuickCost Calculator Select from more than 50 building types in 930 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. The RSMeans Quick Cost Estimator enables users to quickly calculate an estimated value of total project cost localized to a selected area. The calculations include add-on costs itemizing low, medium and high estimates for Archtectural Fees and Contractor's Overhead and Profit.

To use the calculator, go to RSMeans QuickCost Estimator.

Square Foot Building Replacement Cost Comparative Tables Published by Saylor Publications Inc. and posted online as a demonstration of products and services, these tables provide ballpark square foot replacement cost estimates for residential construction and 65 different categories of commercial, industrial and institutional construction in six comparative classes ranging from economy to luxury.

To see the tables, go to Square Foot Building Cost Comparative Tables.

eVALUator Software Developed and offered by Energy Design Resources, eVALUator is a Windows-based software program that calculates the lifecycle benefits of investments that improve building design. It analyzes the financial benefits from buildings that reduce energy cost, raise employee productivity, and enhance tenant satisfaction. It also provides building owners, developers, tenants, architects, engineers, and facility managers with the financial information necessary to make sound decisions about building improvements.

To download the software, go toeVALUator Software.

SkyCalc Skylight Calculator Developed and offered by Energy Design Resources, SkyCalc is a simple computer tool that helps building designers determine the optimum skylighting strategy that will achieve maximum lighting and HVAC energy savings for a building.

To use the calculator, go to SkyCalc Skylight Calculator.

Zinc Coating Life Predictor Developed by Dr. Gregory X. Zhang at the Teck Cominco Product Technology Centre, the Zinc Coating Life Predictor is a software program that estimates the corrosion rate of zinc in various environments. The program's calculations are based on models developed using statistical methods, neural network technology and an extensive worldwide corrosion database. Information needed to use the program effectively includes temperature, airborne salinity, sulfer dioxide concentration, relative humidity, rainfall and sheltering condition.

To use the online calculator, go to Zinc Coating Life Predictor. To instead view and/or download a handy Service Life Chart for Hot-Dip Galvanized Coatings, which was created using the Zinc Coating Life Predictor, go to Service Life Chart for Hot-Dip Galvanized Coatings.

Hot-Dip Galvanize or Paint: Online Life-Cycle Cost Calculator The Life-Cycle Cost Calulator is a tool for determining the best corrosion protection system for a given project over the course of its projected service life. Information required to use the calculator would include unit of measure (English v. Metric), currency designation, coating system being considered (e.g. two-coat epoxy zinc/polyurethane), surface preparation method, project size (tons or square feet), application method (spray or brush), project design life, and service environment (e.g. severe heavy industrial C5-1). The impact of inflation is accounted for using established financial industry equations.

To use the online calculator, go to Life-Cycle Cost Calculator.

NRCA Wind-Load Calculator Developed by the National Roofing Contractors Association, in cooperation with the Midwest Roofing Contractors Association and the North/East Roofing Contractors Association, the Roof Wind Designer calculator provides roofing professionals a means of accurately determining roof systems' design wind loads for common building types. Determinations made by the calculator are the result of information input by the user, including roof area, building location and configuration, roof area dimensions, mean roof height and slope, and exposure and occupancy information.

To use the calculator, go to www.roofwinddesigner.com.