Tools
Welcome to the Tools section of the Whole Building Design Guide. These pages offer information on a variety of desktop or Web-based tools used in the building industry.
Click the 'Tool' heading to sort by ascending or descending order. In addition, narrow the list by selecting a tool category from the drop-down and clicking 'Apply'.
| Tool | Version | |
|---|---|---|
| Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings | 5.4.01 | Software tool designed to evaluate whole buildings and assemblies based on internationally recognized life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology |
| Building Assessment Tool (BAT) | 1.9.1 | The BAT provides a means to collect, validate, and update the information needed for auditors to conduct Facility Energy Audits and Facility Condition Assessments, as well Resilience aspects in a database structure. |
| Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) | 2.1 | BEES allows designers, builders, product manufacturers, and consumers to select cost-effective, environmentally-preferable building products based on consensus standards and designed to be practical, flexible, and transparent. |
| Building Life-Cycle Cost (BLCC) | 5.3-21 | The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed the Building Life Cycle Cost (BLCC) Programs to provide computational support for the analysis of capital investments in buildings. |
| COMcheck™ | 4.1.5.5 | Software allowing building design professional to determine whether projects meet the requirements of the IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1, as well as several state-specific codes. |
| Corrosion Prevention and Control Checklists | 2.0 | The Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPC) Checklists Tool contains three editable checklists for assisting in the creation and evaluation of a CPC Program, project development, creating an RFP, establishing a Design Review, Quality Assurance, Contractor Quality Control, and Commissioning Program. |
| Corrosion Toolbox | 2.0 | The Corrosion Toolbox contains three tools and three corrosion maps useful for evaluating environmental severity and compiling environmental data at selected locations. |
| Energy Escalation Rate Calculator (EERC) | 2021 Dataset | This tool computes an average annual escalation rate for a specified time period, which can be used as an escalation rate for contract payments in energy savings performance contracts and utility energy services contracts. |
| ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® | Online | EPA's online energy management and tracking tool enables organizations to measure and track the energy and water performance of any building over time. |
| EnergyPlus™ | 22.2.0 | EnergyPlus™ is a whole building energy simulation program that engineers, architects, and researchers use to model both energy consumption and water use in buildings. |
| Facility Energy Decision System (FEDS) | 8.1 | The Facility Energy Decision System (FEDS) is an easy-to-use building energy efficiency software tool that quickly and objectively identifies energy efficiency improvements to maximize life-cycle savings. |
| HAZUS | 6.0 | Hazus is a nationally applicable standardized methodology that contains models for estimating potential losses from earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis. |
| Hourly Analysis Program (HAP) | 5.11 | HAP is a powerful tool for designing systems and sizing system components as well as modeling annual energy performance and energy costs. |
| Life-Cycle Energy Performance Framework for Cities | 1.0 | The Framework provides policymakers a tool to look across building codes, incentive and utility programs, and post-occupancy/operations policies, to identify potential policies and triggers that can be deployed to impact building energy use. |
| MPI Decision Tree | Tools to simplify creating customized coatings specifications for both architectural painting and restoration/repainting projects. | |
| REScheck™ | 4.7.2.1 | Software allowing building design professional to determine whether residential projects meet the requirements of the IECC, as well as several state-specific codes. |
| RoofNav | 4.1.2 | RoofNav is an online tool providing access to the most up-to-date FM Approved roofing products and assemblies. |
| Sound Insulation Estimator | 1.0 | Sound Insulation Estimator is a tool to aid in the selection of sound insulating materials and the approximate material and labor costs associated with installation. |
| SpecsIntact | 5.4 | An automated system for preparing standardized facility construction specifications used worldwide by USACE, NAVFAC, and AFCEC. |
| Structural Load Data Reference Tools for DoD UFC 3-301-01 | 2.0 | Reference tools providing site-specific structural wind, snow, frost penetration, and earthquake loading data for DoD locations. |
| Sustainable Facilities Tool (SFTool) | Online | The Sustainable Facilities Tool (SFTool.gov) is an interactive website that shows users how to build, buy, and operate green. |
| TRACE® 3D Plus | 4.0 | TRACE® 3D Plus allows the latest HVAC systems and controls to be modeled quickly, precisely and with the intricacies of today's many building applications. |
| Window Glazing Analysis Response and Design (WINGARD) | 6.2 | Developed for GSA by Applied Research Associates (ARA), WINGARD calculates and graphically displays the response of window systems subjected to blast loads. |
WBDG Participating Agencies
