Sustainability of construction materials andproducts – CE marking, EPD tools, quality

issues

Margareta WahlströmReUse workshop, March 19, 2014

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Outline of presentation

Targets – use of termsConstruction product regulations andCE-markingEnvironmental product declarationsQuality controlChallenges

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What is sustainability?

Sustainability

ENV ECON

Technical designFunctional design

SOC

Member States /Regions:• Different

interpretations ofsustainability

• Will define whatindicator(s) touse forquantifyingsustainability

• Will have toagree whatindicator to“harmonise”

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RESOURCE EFFICIENCY - Construction

.. makes best use of materials, water and energy over the lifecycle ofbuilt assets to minimise embodied and operational carbon(WRAP,UK)

Key elements:Reducing material consumptionWasteRe-use and recycled contentDurability & life spanScarcity & securityProducts with low embodied carbon and waterReducing energy and water use in constructionOperational energy and water use

Reflected in Waste Frameword Directive, Commission Roadmap forResource Efficiency, Construction Products Regulation, YM, SITRA,VATSU, RAMATE….

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CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS REGULATION (No 305/2011)Concerns construction works undernormal conditions of use (buildings,engineering works e.g. bridges)

Aims to remove barriers in tradeHarmonised testing, but national requirements

CE-marking mandatory in all EU countriesif covered by a harmonised productstandard or an European TechnicalAssessment (list of harmonised standardspublished in the Official Journal of theEuropean Union)

Focus on basic work requirements

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CE – marking(based on “Declaration of performance” – ”Suoritustasoilmoitus”)

Covers 400 products

Harmonised standards given for e.g.following applications:- Timber- Wood flooring, wood panelling, cladding,- Concrete, wall elements, Beam: precast blocks- Glass blocks and pavers

- Under discussion: CE-marking of recyclable construction products (e.g.products already in the market, products further processed before recycled)

- NOTE! CE-marking is not a quality mark and no guarantee for safety

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Source: Dr Tatjana Ko etov Mišuli , October 1 – 3, 2013, Belgrade, Serbia.Fostering innovation skills in the wood sectorsupporting structures

Harmonized European Standards

Where the harmonizedtechnical specifications(eg. Annex ZA of hEN)require a manufacturerto involve a third partybefore CE marking thenthat third party shall bea Notified Body.

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1. CE mark

2. Company contact

3. Certified body issue number4. The European standard that

it has been checked against5. Type of product

6. The product performancecriteria

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Assessment of performance & verification of constancy –Suoritustajon pysyvyyden arviointi ja varmentaminen

Five systems of Assessment of Performance and Verification ofConstancy (1+,1,2+,3 and 4)

Varying degrees of 3 party involvement

The European Commission establishes which system or systemsare applicable to a given construction product or family ofconstruction products or a given essential characteristic.

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BASIC WORK REQUIREMENTS (BWR) - perusominaisuudet

7 basic work requirements:BWR1: Mechanical resistance and stabilityBWR2: Safety in case of fireBWR3: Hygiene, health and the environmentBWR4: Safety and accessibility in useBWR5: Protection against noiseBWR6: Energy economy and heat retentionBWR7: Sustainable use of natural resources (new!)

NPD (no performance determined)

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BWR 3. Hygiene, health and theenvironmentThe construction works must be designed and built in such away that they will, throughout their life cycle, not be athreat to the hygiene or health and safety of workers,occupants or neighbours, nor have an exceedingly highimpact, over their entire life cycle, on the environmentalquality or on the climate during their construction, use anddemolition, in particular as a result of any of the following:

• the giving-off of toxic gas;• the emissions of dangerous substances, volatile organic compounds

(VOC), greenhouse gases or dangerous particles into indoor oroutdoor air;

• the emission of dangerous radiation;• the release of dangerous substances into ground water, marine

waters, surface waters or soil;• the release of dangerous substances into drinking water or substances

which have an otherwise negative impact on drinking water;• faulty discharge of waste water, emission of flue gases or faulty

disposal of solid or liquid waste;• dampness in parts of the construction works or on surfaces within the

construction works.

Construction Products Regulation –2 basic requirements focusing on environment

BWR 7. Sustainable use of naturalresourcesThe construction works must be designed, built anddemolished in such a way that the use of natural resourcesis sustainable and in particular ensure the following:1) reuse or recyclability of the construction works, their

materials and parts after demolition;2) durability of the construction works;3) use of environmentally compatible raw and secondary

materials in the construction works.

New: focus on recycling, use of LCA!Focus on health/env safety duringwhole life cycle!

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BWR 7 (source: DIBt report 2013)1. Reuse or recyclability of the construction works, their materials and parts after

demolition;a) Need for selective dismantling technologyb) Design and constructionc) Installation situation of construction productd) Type and composition of construction product (no dangerous substances, one material

matrix. Easily demountable from structure)2. Durability (links to BWR1)

a) Assess conditions lowering durability (e.g. temperature, humidiy…)b) Recommendations for maintenance and upkeepc) Repair (replacement of part of construction)

3. Environmental friendliness and use of secondary raw materials (links to BWR3)a) No hazardous substancesb) Life cycle approach covering different scenarios

Proposals: reuse/recyling part of “Declaration of Performance”

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Environmental Product Declarations in CPR (not binding)

englanniksi suomeksi

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Source: Pekka Vuorinen, RT

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Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

• Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardised format for communicatingthe result from an LCA

• EPD´s are done in a common format, based on common rules known as ProductCategory Rules (PCR).

• The core PCR EN 15804 describes the rules regarding how to develop an EPD forconstruction products in a common way.

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Procedure for EPD development:

Note: EN 15804 is very general

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Use of LCA data in EPDConstruction products regulation: LCA is part of a so called Product Category Rule(PCR) that is used to make Environmental (or climate) Product Declarations (EPD)(ISO 14025, ISO 21930, EN 15804)Environmental impact from different phases of the lifecycle of a constructionproduct are calculated as load (e.g. release units expressed as mass perfunctional unit or mass of building product used)LCA gives indicative information of environmental load during the whole lifecycle ofa product (e.g. to be used in comparison of constructions)Material specific information is needed for calculation ofloads in different scenariosThe inclusion of recycling in the LCA-programmes need to be further checked

Production Construction Usage End of life Recycling

Site release Degradation Landfill etc New use

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EPD - Mandatory Impact categories:

Currently six mandatory impact:1. Depletion of abiotic resources (elements) in kg Sb equiv. or depletion of

abiotic resources (fossil).in MJ2. Global Warming Potential (GWP), in kg CO2 equiv.3. Eutrophication Potential (EP), in kg PO4 equiv.4. Acidification Potential (AP), in kg SO2 equiv.5. Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP), in kg CFC-11 equiv.6. Photochemical Ozone Formation Potential (POFP), in kg ethylene equiv.

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Example of EPD: Declaration of environmentalparameters derived from LCA according to EN 15804

Unit Declared unitA1–A3(kg/t)

A1–A3(kg/m2)

Waste kg 0,04 0,01Eutrophication Potential (EP) PO4 equiv. 0,40 0,07Photochemical Ozone Formation Potential (POFP) kg ethylene equiv. 0,15 0,028Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) kg CFC-11 equiv. 1,33 E-05 2,41 E—06

Acidification Potential (AP) kg SO2 equiv 2,96 0,54

Global Warming Potential (GWP) kg CO2 equiv. 281,85 51

Example of EPD reporting of emissions for precast concreteproduction (stages A1–A3) during production stage (NEPD nr 165NBubbledeck Buskerud Betongvarefabrikk 2013)

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How to address recycling:

Scenario for reuse/recycling needed!

Two options for recycled materials/products:a) used in same type of applicationsb) used in new applications

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Global WarmingPotential [kg CO2-eq.]

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Quality control (source: end-of-waste documents):

” to give confidence in the material properties”

Examples of aspects to be discussed:

1. Clear definition of origin2. Need for specification and standards for reuse referring to

critical properties to be evaluated, Important! clearconditions for acceptance/rejection

3. Monitoring of processes to ensure effective all time (qualityassurance system)

4. Inspection at receipt5. Third part controllers (independent)6. Documentation (& chain of custody report)7. Sampling/checking guidance (e.g. visual testing …)

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Example ofQuality protocol(source: Aggregate, WRAP, UK)

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Implementing sustainability targets - challengesProducts need to be designed for later recycling (however,contamination/change of technical properties during useneeds to be evaluated) – Note! Mentioned in CPR for CE-markingStricter requirements for selective demolition including qualityassurance control (e.g. need for development of dismantlingtechnology + “further development of permission fordemolition - instruments/approval)Technical standards need to fit characteristic ofreuse/recycling materialsAgreement on indicators to be used quantifying sustainabilityin LCAWeighing of different impacts in calculations (base forcalculation: same functionality of construction work)Environmental Product Declarations are input for theenvironmental assessment of buildings (currently not includingreuse/recycling)