Gabi software

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GaBi is one of the world-wide leading software for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Engineering (LCE), Green House Gas Accounting, Benchmarking and Energy Efficiency of products and companies. GaBi is widely used for LCA studies and decision support in industry and in LCA research institutes. More than 650 main licences of the current version have been sold world-wide,^[1]. It is owned by PE International.

GaBi allows to create models based on physical process chains (engineering approach). Next to the basic functions of LCI modelling, data analysis, impact calculation, etc., it has fully integrated parameter functionality to create flexible systems including circularity effects. For a detailed analysis the GaBi analyst offers scenario analysis, parameter variation, sensitivity analysis and a fully user controlled Monte Carlo analysis. Import and export of data in GaBi is carried out using the Ecospold format or Excel.

1 Instruments functionally supported by the tool
2 Functionality
3 Versions
4 Data
5 Extras
6 Systems requirements
7 Current users
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Instruments functionally supported by the tool

Compliance checks, Design for environment (DfE, DfR), Life cycle assessment (LCA), Life cycle costing (LCC), Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), Life cycle inventory (LCI), Life cycle management (LCM), Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCS), Life cycle work environment (LCWE), Life cycle engineering (LCE), Product stewardship, supply chain management, Substance/material flow analysis (SFA/MFA), Total Cost Accounting; Strategic Risk Management; Sustainability Reporting; Energy Efficiency Studies, inclusion of social aspects in LCA.

[edit] Functionality

Inventory Modelling

GaBi 4.2 allows to model process chains, e.g.: - describing a specific production technology or service with the input and output material flows and linking them by: - describing the product system by using its structural information and creating parts with material inventories and production processes GaBi's graphical user interface provides an overview and insight of complex product systems. A principle characteristic of GaBi is the ability to map real-life activities supported by flexible functionality such as parameters, describing the process' behavior depending on load settings or the specific materials processed etc. This allows case-studies to be set-up efficiently based on the identified physical process chains. Creating flexible models using GaBi’s parameters consequently facilitates answering the needs for industrial applications quasi in-time and the communication of GaBi with existing IT environments.

Impact Assessment Methodology

Impact assessment methods available in GaBi are: CML 96, CML 2002, Ecoindicator 95, Ecoindicator 99, Ecological scarcity, EDIP 97, EDIP 2003, Impact 2002+, TRACI. Users have also the facility to define own methods.

Analysis and Interpretation of Results

The GaBi balance view allows to switch between percent shares or absolute numbers, weak points in the modelled system are determined with colors, tracing them back top-down. Normalizations and valuations are applicable; own weighing patterns can be added by the users. Available in the GaBi Analyst are several different analyzing methods: scenario analysis, parameter variation, sensitivity analysis, and the Monte Carlo analysis.

Database Management

Functionality includes comparison assistant, the combining assistant, drag'n'drop. Databases delivered by PE can be remotely serviced, allowing for updating of data directly inside the existing models.

Documentation

GaBi is using a browser-based process data documentation orienting strongly to the European Commission's new ELCD data set documentation requirements. Every GaBi process data set is linked to a HTML documentation with contents like e.g. comprehensive process description, allocation rules, data origin, flow charts, scope of the data set. User can append own documentation files to any data set, to provide a complete documentation. The ecoinvent databases are documented in the EcoSpold format in XML.

[edit] Versions

GaBi: For industry, consulting, and research facilities doing commercial LCA work (price includes full service); no limitation in duration of using the tool.
GaBi academy: For non commercial usage e.g. thesis, seminar paper, dissertation (price includes full service); no limitation in duration of using the tool.
GaBi edu: For teaching at colleges/universities (price includes service); no limitation in duration of using the tool.
GaBi student (free of cost): Free version for students (limited license for 1 year) for non commercial usage.
GaBi temporary: GaBi 4.2 software for a limited period, price on request depending on database and utilization period required
GaBi test license (free of cost): Free version (time limited license for up to 3 months) for testing purposes only.

[edit] Data

Main database (Professional database): About 1000 processes (PE datasets, ELCD, BUWAL, APME)
Ecoinvent integrated: GABI databases compatible version of Swiss Ecoinvent database. Content: Energy supply, Building materials and building processes, Chemicals, Detergent ingredients, Graphic papers, Transport, Disposal, Agricultural products and processes, etc.
Ecoinvent plain: Exact copy of the Swiss ecoinvent database, not compatible to other GaBi databases 2006. Content: same as ecoinvent integrated.
GaBi EDU database: Examples and selected data sets for teaching purposes
GaBi lean database: About 300 processes (PE datasets, ELCD, BUWAL, APME data sets)
GaBi student database: Examples and selected data sets for teaching purposes
GaBi extension databases^[2] : About 1300 high quality datasets on specific industrial sectors and geographies

Designation	Name	Content
extension database Ia	Organic intermediates	92 processes, besides basic products of industrial synthesis (e.g. methanol, formaldehyde), oxidation products of ethylene (e.g. ethylene oxide), alcohols, components for polyamids (e.g. adipin Acid, caprolactam, hexamethylene diamine), conversion products of propene (e.g. acrylonitrile, acetone, epichlorhydrin, bisphenol A), aromats and conversion products of benzene (e.g. BTX, ethylbenzene, styrene, cumene, cyclohexane, MSA), oxidation products of xylene (e.g. phatalic anhydride, dimethyl terephtalate)
extension database Ib	Inorganic intermediates	47 processes e.g. hydrogen, nitric acid, hydrocyanic acid, ammonia
extension database II	Energy	188 processes e.g. natural gas, power, hard coal, crude oil, lignite mixes from different countries, thermal energy from steam, crude oil, natural gas from several countries
extension database III	Steel	29 processes including 22 frequently used steel alloys
extension database IV	Aluminum	39 processes e.g. primary and secondary ingots, extrusion profiles, aluminum sheets
extension database V	Nonferrous metals	16 processes e.g. titanium, cadmium, nickel, copper, manganese, high and low carbon ferro chrome
extension database VI	Precious metals	8 processes e.g. silver, silver mix, gold, rhodium, platinum, palladium
extension database VII	Plastics	42 processes besides mass plastics (e.g. PE of different density, PP, PS), vinyl polymers (e.g. PVC, PVAL), technical plastics (e.g. ABS, PMMA, PTFE), polyamide (e.g. PA 6, PA 6.6, PA 6.12), special plastics (e.g. PPS, PEEK, SMA)
extension database VIII	Coating	37 processes, 10 plans e.g. different solvent, powder and water coats, slurry clear coat, plans for the modelling of automotive and industrial coating
extension database IX	Recycling economy	processes e.g. different mills, plastics and municipal was incineration, polyol alcoholysis
extension database X	Machining processes	31 processes besides steel welding (e.g. spot welding), aluminum welding (e.g. MIG), injections molding, cutting machining Steel/Al, blow modling
extension database XI	Electronics	91 processes, 2 plans e.g. 15 IC's, 8 circuit boards, 7 solder paste, 12 capacitors, 5 transistors, plan for modelling populated PWB
extension database XII	Renewable raw materials	114 processes e.g. fertilizers & pesticides, tractors & passes, agricultural equipment, industrial intermediate products (for biodiesel or buiplastics, different crops like corn, wheat, hemp, flax, rape seat, soybean, etc.
extension database XIII	ecoinvent integrated	he database consists of about 2500 unit processes and about 2500 calculated processes of different products and services like: Energy supply, Building materials and building processes, Chemicals, Detergent ingredients, Graphic papers, Transport, Disposal, Agricultural products and processes. In this version the ecoinvent flow hierarchy is matched to the GaBi flow hierarchy. Thus the ecoinvent integrated database is fully comaptible to all other GaBi 4 databases. Included in this price is one ecoinvent license. Within this license is full access to the ecoinvent homepage.
extension database XIV	Construction materials	Additives, Glue, Concrete, Mortar, Plaster, Paints, Lightweight aggregate concrete, Brick, Foam mortar, Lime sand brick, Building slabs, Wood, Insulating material, Heat insulating bonding systems, Metals, Plastics, Windows
extension database XV	Textile finishing	Pre-treatment (dry processes such as singeing, or wet processes like desizing, bleaching and scouring), dyeing and/or printing (e.g. acids, cationic, direct, disperse, and reactive dyes), finishing, fabrics

[edit] Extras

GaBi i-report: Generation and reading of interactive LCA reports for Ecodesign and communication. This software allows LCA experts can generate complex parameterised systems which are then transferred into ready to use applications to support product development or communication or other applications.

GaBi web questionnaire: Web based generation and management of data collection. Parameterized systems are set-up in GaBi and a this functionality allows to automatically create web based questionnaires for data collection. The received data can be imported into GaBi models.

[edit] Systems requirements

Windows OS (XP or higher), 2,0 GHz processor, 1 GB Ram, 500 MB of free hard disk space

[edit] Current users

EAA, Alcan, Arup, Bayer, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, DuPont, EBARA, EMPA, California EPA, General Motors, Hatch, IISI, Motorola, Nokia, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Öko-Institut Freiburg, Rio Tinto, Siemens, Solvay, Sydney Water, Toyota, Timberland, Unilever, University of Tokyo, University Hamburg, Biozentrum Holzwirtschaft, IPL University Kassel, Volkswagen, Wuppertal Institut