Sustainability measured, not declared
Two EPD environmental product declarations
We hold two Type III environmental product declarations issued by the Building Research Institute (ITB) — a programme operator belonging to the European ECO Platform. Both were prepared in accordance with EN 15804+A2 and independently verified to ISO 14025.
Declaration ITB-EPD 561 covers precast elements in normal-weight concrete classes C20/25, C30/37, C35/45 and C45/55. Declaration ITB-EPD 562 covers expanded clay (LECA) concrete products in classes from LC12/13 D1,4 to LC20/22 D2,0.
The analysis covers modules A1–A3 (product), A4 (transport to the construction site), C1–C4 (end of life) and module D, i.e. benefits beyond the system boundary resulting from recycling. The declared service life is 50 years.
What the declarations are based on
Both declarations were prepared under the same rules, so their results can be compared directly.
ITB-EPD 561 · ITB-EPD 562 · EN 15804+A2 · ISO 14025 · eco-platform
- Programme operator
- Building Research Institute (ITB)
- Standard
- EN 15804+A2, verified to ISO 14025
- Product category rules
- ITB-PCR A
- Declared unit
- 1 tonne of product
- Scope of analysis
- A1–A3, A4, C1–C4 and module D
- Service life
- 50 years
- Data representativeness
- Poland, 2023
- Validity
- Until 1 December 2028
- Comparing data from different declarations is only meaningful when all of them were prepared to the same EN 15804+A2 standard.
- The calculations use a Polish electricity emission factor of 0,702 kg CO₂/kWh (Ecoinvent 3.9.1 supplemented with KOBiZE data).
How much CO₂ per tonne of product
Global warming potential (GWP) values in kg CO₂ eq per 1 tonne of product, broken down by life-cycle module. Module D is negative because it describes the benefits of recycling concrete and steel beyond the system boundary.
| Life-cycle module | Normal-weight concrete | Expanded clay concrete |
|---|---|---|
| A1 — raw materials | 171 | 230 |
| A2 — raw material transport | 25,0 | 22,1 |
| A3 — manufacturing | 42,5 | 42,3 |
| A1–A3 — product total | 239 | 295 |
| A4 — transport to site | 83,4 | 83,4 |
| C1–C4 — end of life | 38,0 | 38,0 |
| D — recycling benefits | −30,9 | −30,9 |
Per tonne or per cubic metre?
Per tonne, expanded clay concrete comes off worse: 295 versus 239 kg CO₂ eq, because producing expanded clay aggregate is energy-intensive. That comparison is misleading, however, because the two materials have different densities.
The declarations state an average density of 2330 kg/m³ for normal-weight concrete and 1870 kg/m³ for expanded clay concrete. Converted to a cubic metre, that gives around 557 kg CO₂ eq for normal-weight concrete and around 552 kg for expanded clay concrete — practically the same.
The real difference only appears at the level of the building envelope. Expanded clay concrete conducts heat less than half as well, so the same insulation performance needs a thinner insulation layer, and a lighter element means fewer transport runs and lower loads on the foundations.
Values per cubic metre are converted from the declared unit (1 tonne) using the declared average density. The declarations themselves state values per tonne only.
Where these numbers come from
The result for module A3 depends on how production is organised. The plant in Międzyrzecz is one of the newest in Poland and was designed for automation and a closed material loop.
35 000 m³ a year
The plant's production capacity is 35 000 m³ or 200 000 m² of precast elements a year.
Four production lines
Separate lines for walls, balconies and flat elements, for columns and beams, an automated stair line and an automated reinforcement line.
Concrete recycling
The plant is equipped with pioneering systems for concrete production, distribution and recovery, and with a steel mesh welding line.
BIM reduces waste
Process automation combined with BIM optimises production and reduces the amount of post-production waste.
Need the declarations for your LCA calculations?
We provide the full ITB-EPD 561 and 562 declarations with a complete set of environmental indicators — for use in building LCA analyses, BREEAM, LEED or DGNB certification, and EU taxonomy reporting.