The Metal Construction Association (MCA) recently released updated environmental product declarations (EPDs) in the areas of metal composite materials (MCM), insulated metal panels (IMPs), and rollformed aluminum and steel cladding. These documents are critical elements for life cycle assessment (LCA) implementations of important programs used by the architectural community to assess the environmental impacts associated with the use of these products and systems. The documents were developed under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 14025 for Type III EPDs, which allows the results of the analysis to be compared across different systems.
New EPDs are critical documents in the life cycle assessment program
LCA is a standardized process used to determine the environmental cost of any product or process deployed under a carefully defined scope. Such scopes must be well understood to ensure LCA results are valid for the case under consideration. An EPD can be thought of as standardized LCA results whose scope is set using a typical use case for a specific product group or system. These use cases are defined in another document called a Product Category Rule (PCR).
Together, EPDs and PCRs allow environmental impacts to be fairly compared to other systems of similar scope. This entire process is governed by the ISO 14000 family of standards. The documentation was developed through Sphera (formerly known as thinkstep) and overseen by Underwriters Laboratories Environment (ULe). These EPDs were first published in 2014 and are updated on a five-year cycle.
These documents simply would not exist without the active participation of MCA members in the development process as they provided key data on the manufacturing and use of all products and systems listed below. Together, these companies represent a significant majority of annual production in the U.S. and Canada, which allows the EPDs to be recognized industry averages, giving them the creditability and rigor required by programs such as LEED and Green Globes.
Metal Composite Material EPD
This document represents manufacturing information for the metal composite material industry and is recognized as a relevant industry average based on the information provided by the representative manufacturers. Product life span segments investigated include raw material supply, manufacturing, application, maintenance, energy use, water use, demolition and waste recovery or recycling. Information on a significant number of performance standards in the area of fire (NFPA 285), system performance (ASTM E283, E330 and E331) and finishes (AAMA 2605) are investigated.
Insulated Metal Panels EPD
This document represents manufacturing information for the IMP industry and is recognized as an industry average based on the information provided by the representative manufacturers. It describes the history, manufacture and use of the IMP panels and systems. Product life span segments investigated include raw material supply, manufacturing, application, maintenance, energy use, water use, demolition, and waste recovery or recycling. Information on a significant number of performance standards associated to IMP panels are investigated. These include creation of the zinc-coated steel raw material (ASTM A653, A755 and A792), the creation of the foam insulating core material (ASTM C273, D1621), acoustical performance (ASTM E90), system performance (ASTM E283, E330 and E331), insulation value (ASTM C518), finishes (AAMA 2605) and fire (NFPA 285, FM 4880).
Rollformed Cladding EPD
Unlike the other EPD documents described, the rollformed cladding EPD recognizes both steel and aluminum sheet goods. Also, beyond just the manufacturer of the sheet goods, this EPD recognizes the process of rollforming these materials into a finished product. The same material, application, fire and finish standards are applicable to rollformed cladding; however, the forming process, which can be accomplished either in line or in the field, is also discussed in this EPD. The MCA member companies providing information for this EPD also had to take into account potential field fabrication prior to product installation.
Summary
These EPD documents are critical components in the life cycle analysis program for the metal construction industry. The significant amount of information was gathered in each of the product categories by a number of MCA member companies. These EPD reports will be valid for five years when the process will need to be reinvestigated and new documents created. The MCA recognizes the critical importance of both the EPD and the LCA processes in managing the environmental impact for the use of metal cladding in construction. Documentation and testing of metal construction components for roofing and wall assemblies satisfy the architectural needs for the design of buildings with metal.
For more information about MCA, go to www.metalconstruction.org.
Bob Zabcik is the technical director for the Metal Construction Association and president of Z-tech Consulting. He is a LEED accredited professional and a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas with 25 years of experience in the metal building products industry. Zabcik can be reached at bob@ztech-consulting.com.
Andy Williams is the director of codes and standards for the Metal Construction Association. He is a professional engineer who began his career in the wall cladding industry in 1982. Andy can be reached at (847) 375-4891.
