Sustainability as a competitive advantage

Optimize your LCA

In today's construction industry, sustainability is no longer an option, but a necessity. Governments, property developers and contractors are increasingly looking for suppliers who can substantiate the environmental impact of their products with detailed data. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) plays a crucial role in this by quantifying the environmental impacts of building materials and processes. The IMPACT Environmental Module, combined with One Click LCA, seamlessly integrates LCA calculations into the design process, allowing precast concrete producers to effectively manage and communicate their environmental footprint. This not only provides a competitive advantage, but also helps comply with increasingly stringent regulations around sustainable construction.

What is LCA and how does the IMPACT Environmental Module integrate it?

LCA is a method to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product throughout its life cycle, from raw material extraction to production, use and end-of-life. This method is increasingly used in the construction industry to inform sustainable choices and reduce carbon emissions.

The IMPACT Environmental Module uses the One Click LCA API, allowing users to access a comprehensive database of more than 10,000 materials and perform fast, asynchronous calculations. This enables designers to gain real-time insight into the CO2 emissions and other environmental impacts of their designs. By integrating LCA directly into IMPACT Project Manager's BIM process, precast concrete manufacturers can proactively address sustainability goals without sacrificing time or efficiency. This enables them to calculate detailed Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) in accordance with modules A1-A3 of EN 15804.

The importance of a low LCA value

More and more project developers and government agencies are using sustainability as one of the main selection criteria in tenders. This means that a low LCA value can be a decisive factor in winning new contracts. What many companies don't know is that if the exact products and materials are not specified in an LCA calculation, a surcharge of up to 30% additional CO2 emissions is assigned. This means that if you don't provide specific product data, your project will automatically be rated as less sustainable, which can reduce your chances of winning projects. With IMPACT Environmental's accurate calculations using project-specific data on actual components, cast-in-place facilities and reinforcement, companies can avoid being penalized by generic materials tables (Environmental Category 3 database). 

Leading precast concrete producer Heidelberg Materials Precast Abetong has found that evaluating project-specific results via this link is far more valuable than just having average table values.

With the IMPACT Environmental Module, companies can avoid this pitfall by automatically having the exact product data generated by IMPACT Project Manager and included in their LCA calculations. This not only ensures more accurate reporting of EPDs, but also helps in obtaining certifications such as BREEAM, MPG and MKI, which are increasingly required in projects and large tenders.

Time savings in LCA calculations.

Traditional LCA calculations can be time-consuming and complex. Manually entering data, collecting material information and applying standards often take days or even weeks. The IMPACT Environmental Module solves this problem by automating many of these steps. Because IMPACT Environmental is directly linked to IMPACT Project Manager's BIM model, the system automatically extracts relevant data from the design and planning process. Even transportation and assembly data are part of the LCA calculation. This means that the required information is already available without additional effort on the part of the user. This allows designers and project managers to focus on optimization and innovation instead of time-consuming administrative tasks.

In addition, the integration with One Click LCA provides the ability to quickly compare and analyze scenarios. Within the IMPACT Project Manager, data from alternative concrete compositions can be chosen and calculated directly. This allows precast concrete producers to immediately see which design choices have the greatest impact on overall CO2 emissions and respond by selecting more sustainable alternatives and having them quickly calculated. 

Cost savings through internal LCA calculations

Many companies outsource LCA calculations to outside consulting firms, which can be costly. This is not only expensive, but also time-consuming and less flexible. The IMPACT Environmental Module offers a solution by performing these calculations in-house, allowing precast concrete manufacturers to maintain full control over their sustainability data. With an automated LCA calculation within the in-house design process, external consultancy costs are no longer necessary. This not only saves money, but also ensures that companies have immediate access to their data without having to wait for external analysis. In addition, this approach enables faster response to customer inquiries or changes in regulations, further enhancing competitiveness.

Accurate and rapidly available LCA data results in a significant competitive advantage in large tenders. Companies that can transparently demonstrate their environmental impact using Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have an edge. Andreas Lidö of Heidelberg Materials Precast Abetong says they have won projects thanks to their accurate EPDs and ability to quickly answer questions about them. In a market where sustainability weighs increasingly heavily, precast concrete producers who can provide EPDs quickly and substantiate their sustainability performance will have a clear advantage.

Conclusion:

The integration of the IMPACT Environmental Module with One Click LCA provides precast concrete manufacturers with a powerful and unique solution to embed sustainability within their organization. By performing accurate and efficient LCA calculations directly, companies can:

- Meeting the growing demand for environmentally friendly building solutions;

- Preventing incomplete LCA reporting from leading to an additional allowance of CO2 emissions with 30%;

- Save time through automatic integration with BIM processes;

- Cut costs through fewer outside consulting firms;

- Gain a competitive advantage in tenders thanks to accurate EPDs and EQIs;

- Transparently communicate sustainability performance to customers and stakeholders.

With sustainability at the forefront of the construction industry, the IMPACT Environmental Module provides a smart and efficient way to meet both environmental and commercial objectives. Want to learn more about how IMPACT can help your company optimize LCA calculations? Contact Matrix Software and discover the possibilities.