Introducing CarbonCure Express EPD

CarbonCure is pleased to announce the launch of our new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) service for concrete producers: CarbonCure Express EPD.

CarbonCure Express EPD combines our streamlined life cycle assessment (LCA) data collection with over a decade of concrete industry expertise to deliver simplified, cost-effective EPDs to concrete producers.

What is an EPD? An EPD is a report that quantifies the environmental impact of a building product. A concrete EPD service provider conducts a life cycle assessment of the concrete plant and materials to communicate verifiable and accurate environmental information. Architects, engineers, contractors, and property owners use EPDs to make informed decisions about the materials they select. Simply put, an EPD is an easy way to prove the carbon footprint of your concrete mixes and products.

Why CarbonCure Express EPD is Important Today

A search of construction project databases indicates that over 4,500 construction projects across the United States have asked for EPDs within the past year (Dodge database search in May 2022). Requests for EPDs exist on construction projects in every state and province across Canada and the United States. 

This is data-backed evidence that market demand for product-specific EPDs is increasing.

Architects, engineers, contractors, and project owners are under pressure to prove they are meeting the sustainability commitments laid out in Architecture2030, SE 2050, etc. To do this, they are pushing for concrete producers to deliver EPDs along with their mix submittals. 

This push will increase in the coming years, particularly in the United States where the federal Buy Clean executive order comes into effect on January 1, 2023. From that date, the General Services Administration and other government purchasing agencies must obtain Type III EPDs for all building materials used on federal projects. 

Once EPDs become mandated by the federal government, pressure will increase at the state level and in the private sector, too.

What is a Type III EPD? Type III EPDs are the most rigorous since they have detailed rules and must be verified by a third party. Product-specific Type III EPDs are the most thorough of all EPDs, as they cover a single product from a manufacturer and they are reviewed by a third-party entity. You can think of them as EPDs that address one specific SKU. LEED requires that all product-specific EPDs have a scope that covers from cradle to gate. CarbonCure Express EPD provides product-specific Type III EPDs.

Simplifying Sustainability for Concrete Producers

The creation of EPDs involves a complex life cycle assessment (LCA) of each unique concrete mix and looks at many factors—including plant-related factors—that impact a product’s carbon footprint.

The launch of CarbonCure Express EPD underlines our commitment to partner with concrete producers to simplify sustainability. Whether adopted alongside our suite of carbon technologies or to set benchmarks for existing concrete mix designs, CarbonCure Express EPD removes complexity from LCA calculations and automates data collection for fast and accurate EPDs.

4 Benefits of CarbonCure Express EPD

Until now, EPD generation has been a complex and often costly endeavor for concrete producers. CarbonCure Express EPD changes this to deliver four key benefits to concrete producers:

1. Simplify the creation of EPDs 

CarbonCure Express EPD streamlines the life cycle assessment (LCA) process and automates much of the data collection required for material-specific EPDs. This allows us to deliver EPDs quickly, without minimal disruption to your plant operations.

2. Reduce the cost of EPD creation for all concrete mixes

CarbonCure’s LCA process and EPD generation are extremely cost-effective. CarbonCure Express EPD customers have the ability to create unlimited EPDs for each plant. Plus, our simplified process means there’s no need to hire full-time employees to manage your EPD program.

3. Speed up the time it takes to create EPDs

Our team will walk you through the entire process quickly and efficiently to avoid any disruption to your day-to-day plant operations. For existing CarbonCure customers, CarbonCure already has access to most of the data required, so EPDs can be created faster than ever. For new customers who want to try CarbonCure Express EPD, we have a streamlined, pain-free process to collect the data required.

4. Compete for more projects

With EPDs for all your mix designs, you can compete for the growing number of projects with EPD requirements. When coupled with CarbonCure solutions, EPDs are a great resource to differentiate your product as they help you prove you have created a lower carbon concrete mix than your competitors, and position yourself favorably during the material selection process on any project with carbon reduction requirements. 

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with CarbonCure. Prove it with CarbonCure Express EPD.

We aim to make EPDs accessible to every concrete producer to advance our mission to create a more sustainable, decarbonized industry. And since CarbonCure now has the software to measure the carbon footprint of concrete—and the technology to manage it—it is truly the best partner for concrete producers working toward a more sustainable and profitable future.

To learn more about CarbonCure Express EPD, contact us.

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