The Masonry Industry Perspective
By Monica Guzman
As the design and construction industry focuses more intently on reducing the embodied carbon of buildings, masonry manufacturers and manufacturer associations are actively working on developing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to assess and improve the environmental impact of their products. Many of them have already introduced innovative and proprietary technologies aimed at reducing the embodied carbon of masonry construction.
More broadly, the masonry industry is focusing on reducing the carbon footprint through efficient design and specifications, enhancing the energy performance of masonry assemblies, and raising awareness about the energy saving potential of their inherent thermal mass. At the same time, ongoing research is exploring the carbon sequestration capabilities of concrete masonry throughout its service life.
Embodied Carbon Reduction: Concrete Masonry Units
Manufacturers of concrete masonry units (CMUs) are currently developing EPDs for their products, some of them already published their plant specific EPDs, and more are on the way. At a national level, both the concrete block and clay brick associations published industry average EPDs.
For example, the Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association – CCMPA published average EPDs for eastern and western Canada. These Type III environmental declarations present quantified, third party verified, environmental information on the life cycle of a product – or in this case, a product type. This, and plant specific EPDs, will enable specifiers to make comparisons between various products fulfilling the same function.
CCMPA has also published a Canadian Industry-Average Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for both normal weight and lightweight CMUs. This LCA was completed to support the development of the Type III EPDs for concrete masonry units conforming to CSA A165.1-04 – Concrete Block Masonry Units, and as part of CCMPA’s commitment to providing transparent information about the environmental footprint of concrete block masonry units produced in Canada.
Monica Guzman, M.Sc., P.Eng. is a Masonry Design Engineer with the Canada Masonry Design Centre in Calgary AB.
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