Building assessments are dominated by material embodied carbon at modules A1–A3. Infrastructure assessments are different. Civil-works standards such as EN 17472 require the construction process stage (A5) to be modelled explicitly, and operations and maintenance stages (B2/B3) and end-of-life (C1) are also within scope. For road, rail, earthworks and energy projects, the emissions from running diesel and electric plant on site, boring tunnels, blasting rock, paving and compacting carriageways, and maintaining assets over decades can be as significant as the materials themselves.

One Click LCA's infrastructure process library addresses this by providing activity-based datasets expressed per functional unit of work — per m², per m³, per metre, or per hour — rather than per kilogram of product. This article walks through all available process datasets by category.

Site clearing per m² covers two bulldozer power classes: medium power (60–330 kW) and heavy power (330–700 kW). Each is modelled at three terrain conditions — easy (load factor 35–50%), moderate (50–65%) and difficult (65–80%) — giving six datasets in total. These cover vegetation removal, topsoil stripping and initial site preparation on greenfield infrastructure corridors.

Site flattening per m² and per hour covers two motor grader power classes: medium power (140 kW) and heavy power (300 kW), each at easy (20–30%), moderate (30–50%) and difficult (50–80%) load factors. Both functional units are provided, allowing practitioners to work from either area-based or time-based activity data. These are applicable to bulk grading on road alignments, rail formation, substation compounds and airport aprons.

Excavator operation per m³ of excavated earth mass covers a 285 kW/61 t machine across four material excavation classes: class 1 (mud, loose soil, sandy gravel), class 2 (compact soil, hard clay, gravel), class 3 (very compact soil, stony gravel) and class 4 (gravel with larger rock fragments, gravely moraine). The per-m³ functional unit ties directly to the volumes in a cut-and-fill earthworks schedule.

Wheel loader operation per m³ of moved earth mass covers a 120 kW/26 t machine across the same four material classes, applicable to loading, stockpile management and material rehandling on site.

Soil removal per hour covers two scraper power classes: medium power (300 kW) and heavy power (430 kW), each at easy, moderate and difficult terrain conditions. Scrapers are the primary machine for large-volume cut-and-fill on road and rail alignments where the haul distance allows self-loading.

Dumper truck operation per hour covers a 240 kW/24 t machine at three driving conditions: easy (level, well-maintained haul road), average (broken and uneven ground) and difficult (low bearing capacity, hilly). These datasets pair with excavator or loader quantities to model the full earthmoving cycle including haulage.

Rock drilling per metre covers top-hammer drilling at two diameter ranges: 40–76 mm (maximum depth 15 m) and 64–115 mm (maximum depth 37 m). These represent the blast-hole diameters used in quarry, cut slope, foundation and tunnel drill-and-blast operations.

Rock blasting per m³ is modelled across four rock hardness classes with explicit explosive consumption factors: hard rock such as granite, basalt and quartzite (0.75 kg explosives/m³); medium rock such as sandstone and schist (0.45 kg/m³); soft rock such as marble and limestone (0.30 kg/m³); and very soft rock such as rock gypsum and chalk (0.20 kg/m³). The explosive consumption is used alongside the emulsion explosive material datasets to give a full picture of the blasting activity.

Six emulsion explosive formulations are available as material datasets to pair with the blasting process data: standard mineral oil formulation, aluminium-reinforced for enhanced blasting energy, sodium nitrate formulation, vegetable oil-based for reduced environmental impact, alternative emulsifier formulation, and glass microsphere-sensitised.

Pile driving per metre covers three hammer sizes: light hammer (maximum pile weight 5000 kg, striking part 1800 kg), medium hammer (maximum pile weight 16,000 kg, striking part 6500 kg) and heavy hammer (maximum pile weight 60,000 kg, striking part 20,000 kg). These correspond to the range from small-diameter precast piles for building foundations through to large-diameter piles for bridge and heavy structure foundations.

Drilling for cast-in-place concrete piles per metre covers a double rotary rig at maximum 900 mm diameter and 20 m depth, applicable to bored piles, CFA piles and secant pile walls in urban infrastructure and bridge foundation works.

Tunnel boring machine operation per metre is available across seven TBM diameters: 3.5 m (penetration rate 4.84 m/h), 4 m (5 m/h), 5 m (5 m/h), 6 m (5 m/h), 7 m (5 m/h), 8 m (5 m/h) and 9 m (5 m/h). These cover the range from small utility and pedestrian tunnels through to twin-bore road and rail tunnels. The per-metre functional unit aligns with tunnel chainage-based reporting used in infrastructure programmes.

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) per metre is available across four diameter bands and three ground condition types, giving 12 datasets in total. Diameter bands are 50–101 mm (2–4 in), 152–203 mm (6–8 in), 254–304 mm (10–12 in) and 304–356 mm (12–14 in). Ground conditions are clay soil, sand soil and rock. HDD is the standard technique for crossing roads, railways, rivers and other obstacles without open excavation and is relevant across highway, rail, utility and power cable installation projects.

Asphalt paving per m² covers a single-course paver at 80 kW, 17 t operating weight, 6 m paving width and an effective capacity of 1150 m²/h. This gives the construction-stage emissions for the paving machine itself, to be combined with asphalt material datasets at each layer.

Asphalt compaction per m² covers four roller sizes: 25 kW/2.5 t (1.2 m width, 435 m²/h), 35 kW/3.5 t (1.3 m width, 1460 m²/h), 55 kW/7 t (1.45 m width, 690 m²/h) and 80 kW/10 t (1.7 m width, 790 m²/h). The range reflects the different rollers used for initial breakdown, intermediate and finish compaction passes.

Soil compaction per m² covers two soil roller sizes: 60 kW/6 t (1.7 m roller width, 800 m²/h) and 80 kW/11 t (2.15 m roller width, 1000 m²/h), applicable to sub-base and formation compaction under road and rail pavements.

Tack coating with an asphalt spreader per m² is available at three application thicknesses (0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 kg/m²) and two ramp widths (2.5 m and 4 m), giving six datasets. Tack coat is applied between pavement layers and at the interface with existing surfaces.

Road verge mowing per metre covers an 85 kW wheel loader with attached mowing unit at 10 km/h mowing speed and 1.5 m mowing width — a use-stage (B2) process applicable to highway and linear corridor maintenance.

All four available battery-electric plant types are modelled per hour of operation, each with three electricity grid scenarios: default (global average), Norwegian electricity scenario (very low carbon, hydro-dominated) and European electricity scenario (average European grid). This explicit scenario structure keeps the grid assumption visible and prevents a low-carbon grid from being silently applied to a project in a different region.

Mini battery-electric excavator per hour: 15 kW/20 hp, 2610 kg operating weight, 5 kWh/h consumption, 4–5 h runtime.

Mini battery-electric wheeled front loader per hour: 22 kW/30 hp, 5200 kg operating weight, 8 kWh/h consumption, 4–5 h runtime.

Full-size battery-electric wheeled front loader per hour: 200 kW/270 hp, 20 t operating weight, 40 kWh/h consumption, 4–5 h runtime.

Full-size battery-electric excavator per hour: 90 kW/122 hp, 21 t operating weight, 40 kWh/h consumption, 4–5 h runtime.

Mini battery-electric compactor per hour: 2600 kg operating weight, 23 kWh battery, 5 kWh/h consumption, 4–6 h runtime, also with Norwegian and European electricity scenarios.

Rail grinding trains are modelled as whole-machine assets, with mass per unit allowing allocation across the asset life. Eight configurations are available: diesel-electric consist (32–96 grinding stones, 160 t), modular consist (16–48 stones, 120 t), heavy-duty 9-car consist (180 t), international 32-stone model (150 t), standard 24-stone consist (120 t), high-output continuous type (135 t), medium-capacity 8–20 stone (110 t) and modular on-track type (90 t).

Ballast tampers cover ten configurations: continuous action (135 t), universal (78 t and 110 t), high-output (98 t), combined levelling and tamping (125 t), production (90 t), switch and production (82 t), high-output continuous (140 t), compact on-track (32 t) and two-sleeper type (120 t).

Track trolleys are available in nine types: motorized (380 kg), light inspection (180 kg), crew and material transport (320 kg), compact motorized (280 kg), inspection (260 kg), utility and inspection (300 kg), platform cargo (450 kg), personnel carrier (420 kg) and modular motorized (360 kg).

Underfloor wheel lathes cover five types: twin-tool (52 t), compact (36 t), re-profiling (48 t), heavy-duty 60 t axle load (54 t) and standard (40 t). Above-floor CNC wheel lathes are available in three further types: CNC re-profiling (42 t), standard CNC (38 t) and large-capacity (60 t).

Rail lifting jacks cover seven types: hydraulic portable (42 kg), hydraulic track (55 kg), mechanical or hydraulic (48 kg), portable hydraulic (52 kg), compact hydraulic (44 kg), heavy-duty mechanical (50 kg) and a generic portable device (46 kg).

Ultrasonic testing equipment covers eight types: portable flaw detectors (11–13 kg), manual push trolley (95 kg), light rail trolley (120 kg), walk-behind trolley (160 kg), motorized trolley (220 kg) and vehicle-mounted system (4200 kg).

Overhead line maintenance vehicles cover three types: diesel-electric (350 kW, crew 8, 45 t), battery-electric (300 kWh LFP, 360 kW, 38 t) and diesel hi-rail (240 kW PTO, 9 m boom, 18 t).

Concrete demolition (C1) covers typical diesel fuel consumption by construction machinery for the demolition of concrete structures, expressed per m³. This is applicable to bridge demolition, retaining wall removal and structure clearance at end of asset life.

Asphalt pavement removal by milling (C1) covers typical diesel fuel consumption by milling machinery, expressed per m² of pavement removed. This applies to carriageway resurfacing (as an end-of-life for the existing layer) and full pavement removal at decommissioning.

Deforestation is available in two dataset families. The first covers basic deforestation without long-term carbon accounting, at three forest density classes (sparse, moderately dense and dense), each expressed both per m² and per hectare — six datasets in total.

The second family adds biogenic CO₂ sink loss and soil carbon sequestration loss modelled over a 60-year horizon, again at three forest density classes and both per-m² and per-hectare functional units — a further six datasets. These are relevant to greenfield infrastructure corridors, linear routes and new substation or generation sites on previously forested land, where the standard A5 scope underestimates total land-use change impact without explicit carbon stock accounting.

Both are provided precisely because project data comes in both forms. If the earthworks schedule gives areas, use the per-m² datasets. If the programme gives plant hours, use the per-hour datasets. The underlying emission factors are equivalent — only the functional unit differs.

The rock blasting per-m³ dataset covers the process emissions from drilling, charging and firing, including the emissions from the explosive charge at the consumption rate shown in the technical specification. The emulsion explosive material datasets cover the upstream embodied footprint of manufacturing the explosive itself. Both are needed for a complete picture of the blasting scope.

The footprint of an electric machine is dominated by the grid that charges it. Modelling default, Norwegian and European scenarios separately keeps that assumption explicit. Choose the scenario that reflects the grid where the project is located, or use the default global scenario for international comparability.

Yes. Requests are evaluated against the needs of the global customer base and the availability of credible background data. The Customer Success team can advise on commissioning new datasets where needed.