Sources: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.; Slag Cement Association (SCA), Farmington Hills, Mich.; CP staff
ASTM and SCA-developed Product Category Rules (PCR) will support customers seeking to issue an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for slag cement concrete or mortar, especially on green building projects where specifications stipulate or incentivize disclosure of raw material processing methods and chemical content.
“The Slag Cement Association has long understood the potential environmental benefit of the use of slag cement, a recovered material,” says Executive Director John Melander. “The PCR provides a standardized method for developing and disseminating verifiable information about the environmental impact of slag cement.” In choosing a program operator for the rules, he adds, “SCA recognized ASTM’s long history of development of widely accepted standards for the marketplace.”
Slag cement joins five related materials or products for which industry groups have enlisted ASTM to oversee PCR developments: Clay Brick and Clay Brick Pavers; Portland Cement, Blended Hydraulic Cement, Masonry, and Mortar Cement; Manufactured Concrete and Concrete Masonry Products; Segmental Concrete Paving Products; and, Expanded Shale, Clay, and Slate Lightweight Aggregate.
PCR are essential to EPD, which carry prospective point value in the new LEED v4 green building rating system. The declarations are a highly regarded way to demonstrate a company’s commitment to sustainability, quality and responsibility, ASTM contends, as they detail the real environmental impact of a product over its life cycle. Additional information on PCR development can be obtained from ASTM’s Chris Surak, 610/832-9711; [email protected].
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