EPDs released for three precast concrete categories

by Katie Daniel | January 25, 2016 10:27 am

Stack of precast reinforced concrete slabs in a house-building factory workshop — Three environmental product declarations (EPDs) were released for architectural and insulated wall panel products, structural precast concrete products, and underground precast concrete products. *Photo © Bigstock.com/wrangler*

The North American precast concrete industry announced environmental product declarations (EPDs) for architectural and insulated wall panel products, structural precast concrete products, and underground precast concrete products.

EPDs are standardized, internationally recognized comprehensive tools that provide information on a product’s environmental impact. The information is based on an International organization for Standardization- (ISO-) compliant lifecycle assessment (LCA) and verified by a third party. The analysis considers all processes in the product’s manufacturing, including raw material, energy extraction, preliminary products, and the manufacture of end products.

Using products with EPDs can contribute to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). For example, LEED v4 has incorporated a new credit for EPDs that are third party verified by an approved program operator.

The EPDs were jointly released by the Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute[1] (CPCI), the National Precast Concrete Association[2] (NPCA), and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute[3] (PCI); they were independently prepared by the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute and verified by ASTM International and the Industrial Ecology Consultants.

For more on EPDs, see “Transparency in the Built Environment[4]” and “Carbon Environmental Product Declarations and Brick Work.“[5]

Endnotes:

Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute: http://www.cpci.ca/
National Precast Concrete Association: http://precast.org/
Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute: http://www.pci.org/
Transparency in the Built Environment: https://www.constructioncanada.net/transparency-in-the-built-environment-calculating-and-assessing-embodied-energy-of-construction-materials/
Carbon Environmental Product Declarations and Brick Work.“: https://www.constructioncanada.net/carbon-environmental-product-declarations-and-brickwork-reducing-footprints-through-masonry/

Source URL: https://www.constructioncanada.net/epds-released-for-three-precast-concrete-categories/