Excel

Make sure you have the things listed below before starting:

• An Excel file that contains information about building materials – material names and their quantities.
• One Click LCA account and license with Business features to be able to import data. 

How to set up Excel import?

Where can I download it?

On the bottom of this page, we have added different excel templates which you can use for excel imports.

See the below table to see which excel form you should use.

Excel form name	Intended Project Use
OCL_import_form_Building_Metric_v1_11	Building Projects (EU/UK/RoW)
OCL_import_form_Building_Imperial_v1_5	Building Projects (US)
OCL_import_form_Building_Dutch_v1.1	Building Projects (Dutch, MPG)
OCL_import_form_Building_Metric_FRANCE_v1_5	Building Projects (France, E+C-)
OCL_importformulär_Byggnader_Metersystemet_Sverige_v1	Building Projects (Sweden, Klimatdeklaration)
OCL_import_form_Building_Japanese_v1.1	Building Projects (Japan)
Please see Product LCA/EPD Data Collection and Import Form	Product Projects (EPD tools)
OCL_import_form_Infrastructure_Metric_v1_5	Infrastructure Projects (EU/UK/RoW)
OCL_import_form_Infrastructure_Imperial_v1	Infrastructure Projects (US)
OCL_import_form_GHG_reporting_Metric_v1.5	GHG Reporting Projects (Worldwide)
OCL_import_form_Building_Metric_RICS2nd_v2.3	Building Projects (UK / RICS v2 BETA tool only)

How do I install it?

You only need to have Microsoft Excel installed.

How to use Excel Import?

Step 1: Adding correct data heading labels when not using the Excel template

If the model is taken directly from the Building Information model using One Click LCA import it is automatically in the correct form. If you use some other source for Excel you will need to add correct data heading labels, units, and classification for the data (see guidance here) or try the updated import process if you have access to it.

If you are using one of the Excel templates, then you simply fill in the Excel with available building materials quantity takeoff.

Step 1A: Check the Excel formatting requirements

Please find the data templates in the attachments (can be found at the bottom of the page). Below are provided explanations for different classes and guidance on how to fill in the data.

CLASS: The class defines to which question in the query we map, the values have to be one of the listed ones in exactly the same format. Please find the list of accepted CLASS values for building projects and information on which question each of them is mapped to in the table below. Infrastructure and EPD projects have their own classification system. The classes can be found in the Excel templates which can be downloaded from the bottom of this article.

CLASS	Building element	Sub-Element
FOUNDATION	Foundations and substructure	Foundation, sub-surface, basement and retaining walls
WALL	Vertical structures and facade	External walls and facade
EXTERNAL WALL	Vertical structures and facade	External walls and facade
INTERNAL WALL	Vertical structures and facade	Internal walls and non-bearing structures
COLUMN	Vertical structures and facade	Columns and load-bearing vertical structures
SLAB	Horizontal structures: beams, floors and roofs	Floor slabs, ceilings, roofing decks, beams and roof
ROOF	Horizontal structures: beams, floors and roofs	Floor slabs, ceilings, roofing decks, beams and roof
BEAM	Horizontal structures: beams, floors and roofs	Floor slabs, ceilings, roofing decks, beams and roof
STAIRS	Other structures and materials	Other structures and materials
OTHER	Other structures and materials	Other structures and materials
DOOR	Other structures and materials	Windows and doors
WINDOW	Other structures and materials	Windows and doors
HORIZONTAL FINISH	Horizontal structures: beams, floors and roofs	Floor slabs, ceilings, roofing decks, beams and roof
VERTICAL FINISH	Vertical structures and facade	Internal walls and non-bearing structures
FINISH	Other structures and materials	Finishes and coverings
COVERINGS	Other structures and materials	Finishes and coverings
SYSTEM	Building Technology	Building systems and installations
BUILDINGTECH	Building Technology	Building systems and installations
FURNITURE	Building Technology	Building systems and installations
SITE	External areas and site elements	Materials and constructions for external areas

IFCMATERIAL: The distinguishable material name that we use to map the material to the label in the tool. Mapping is based on CLASS & IFCMATERIAL combination. Many generic labels such as Concrete 40/50 are automatically mapped. For other materials choose a material label that you wish to use for that material. When you import it for the first time, you can teach it to the tool and it will be automatically recognized in the future. If you input the precise name of an One Click LCA data point (as listed in the data card) as the IFCMATERIAL, the corresponding environmental profile will be automatically assigned during the import process, provided that the data point is accessible in the chosen tool and the selected unit aligns with the data point's supported units.

QUANTITY: Number, use comma as decimal separator.

QTY_TYPE: Unit, accepted values are M3, KG, and M2. Please note that if you are using M2 you’ll also need to give THICKNESS in mm unit.

TRANSPORT_KM: Transport distance in km from the manufacturer site to the building site (optional, can also be added later in the query).

Additional information: You can add additional information you want to use to the Excel template, by using the Comment column or adding new columns. If you add extra columns, consider removing unused columns as there is a maximum amount of columns that can be present in an imported Excel file. In the additional settings during the import process, you can change the data grouping and combine based on any additional imported columns. The imported info for each item in the Excel file is also available in the "Mapping" step and the data input pages (building material query) by clicking the paper icon.

 

Step 2: Upload the filled-in Excel sheet.

When all the listed are available, you can simply open your project design where you wish to import the data and click 'Input data' and 'Import Excel or gbXML files'.

You can also download the Excel from your existing BIM or IFC model and then add additional rows for it or make corrections. For instance, if some of the material specifications in the model are not distinguishable enough such as Wall 1, you can split those into several rows to represent the actual building materials in it.

Note that the old import process includes all tabs in the Excel file. This can cause issues with column limitations, and to avoid this, it is recommended to import Excel files with one tab only.

How to use private classifications in Excel?

Please check the FAQ section of the following article which explains this functionality: Private Classifications

Attachments