“Determining the Carbon Footprint of Wood” (PCA R&D 3287) is a valuable work based on Portland Cement Association-sponsored research. The timely report tracks trees and forests’ carbon dioxide-sequestering capacity, one of the value propositions wood building product interests channel to green-building practitioners; paints rationale for the wood industry to document carbon accounting methods transparently, especially when product is not sourced from a sustainably managed forest; and, helps cast-in-place concrete, precast and masonry construction practitioners respond to competitors’ claims of environmental mettle.
Read MoreTag: EPD
LafargeHolcim sustainability plan embraces EPD, EMS, life cycle data, recycling metrics
Sources: LafargeHolcim Ltd., Jona, Switzerland; CP staff
Looking beyond rationalized cement capacity and integrated concrete and aggregate production assets, LafargeHolcim aims to make its mark in the global construction supply chain as part of a new sustainability initiative, The 2030 Plan.
Read MoreASTM-led consortium eyes improved PCR, LCA and EPD for green building interests
Sources: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.; CP staff
A first-of-its-kind consortium in the green-building industry convened 15 manufacturers and industry representatives in a roundtable discussion on the needs for enhancing product transparency and stewardship through effective product category rules (PCR), life cycle assessment reports (LCA), environmental product declarations (EPD), and Sustainable Minds Transparency Reports.
Read MoreCement Canada EPD covers standard, portland-limestone cements
Sources: CSA Group, Toronto; CP staff
Standards development, testing and certification services provider CSA has registered its first Environmental Product Declaration: “General Use (GU) and Portland-Limestone (GUL) Cements.” The document references (Canadian Standards Association) CSA A3001 product, mirroring ASTM C150 and C1157 plus AASHTO M85 standards, and reflects an industry average of product stage or cradle-to-gate data culled from six Cement Association of Canada (CAC) producer members.
Read MoreISO publishes guidance on environmental management system implementation
Sources: International Organization for Standardization, Geneva; CP staff
The newly revised ISO 14004:2016, Environmental management systems – General guidelines on implementation, is a companion to the ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental management systems, a benchmark reference for life cycle assessments underpinning Product Category Rules and Environmental Product Declarations surfacing across the construction materials and products landscape.
Read MoreCapitol Aggregates logs first NRMCA-certified EPD for portland cement
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has certified its inaugural Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for cement in North America, covering ASTM C150 Types I and III, C595 Types IP and IL, and C91 Types N and S from Capitol Aggregates’ flagship mill in San Antonio, Texas. The EPD for Capitol Aggregates, a long-time NRMCA member serving the Texas market for nearly 60 years, follows a September 2015 milestone when the association certified its 2,000th concrete declaration. That watermark is by far the most of any building material or product category represented in EPDs targeted to new green building rating system requirements.
Read MoreASTM, ICC ES pool resources in PCR-, LCA-, EPD-centered consortium
Officials from ASTM International, the International Code Council’s ICC Evaluation Service subsidiary and Michigan-based NSF International have announced the first Program Operator Consortium, serving as an expert resource for creating product category rules (PCR), reviewing life cycle assessment (LCA) reports, plus verifying and publishing environmental product declarations (EPD).
Read MoreASTM, ICC ES pool resources in PCR-, LCA-, EPD-centered consortium
Sources: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.; CP staff
Officials from ASTM, the (International Code Council) ICC Evaluation Service and Michigan-based NSF International have announced the first Program Operator Consortium, serving as an expert resource for creating product category rules (PCR), reviewing life cycle assessment (LCA) reports, plus verifying and publishing environmental product declarations (EPD).
Read MoreLife cycle factors gain in revised benchmark environmental standard
Sources: International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva; CP staff
A new version of a global standard behind 300,000 certifications annually, including parties developing Product Category Rules (PCR) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) backing green building rating measures, places increased emphasis on life-cycle thinking, considering each stage of a product or service, cradle to grave. ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems likewise addresses users’ recognition of the need to factor both external and internal elements that influence their impact, including climate volatility, plus proactive initiatives for greater environmental protection.
Read MorePositive notes on a good year’s end
The industry entered 2014 with limited tailwind. Last year’s cement shipments and concrete output fell a few points from 2012, and prolonged, catastrophic winter weather hampered construction through the end of March. Before the snow melted, a) good market indicators supporting overdue plant and fleet investment were evident; b) one global and two domestic transactions surfaced, altering the top U.S. and Canadian concrete, cement and aggregate producer ranks; c) ready mixed and manufactured-concrete producers embraced new protocols for the LEED v4 era of green building; and, d) mobile device-suited information technology offerings surfaced, inviting the use of big data analytics to lower concrete production and delivery costs.
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