NRMCA EPD Program Breaks New Ground in 2023

In a first for NRMCA’s EPD program, a Materials Division member, Euclid Chemical, has completed an EPD; reporting the impacts for four microfibers and one macrofiber for concrete reinforcement. This is the first EPD for a reinforcing fiber product published through the NRMCA EPD program. The EPD was conducted in accordance with ISO 21930 as the core product category rule (PCR) as there is no currently published subcategory PCR for reinforcing fibers. This represents an important, early step in establishing EPDs as an industry standard for reinforcing fiber products and toward accounting for the impacts of ready mixed concrete’s entire supply chain. Public access to the EPD is available on the NRMCA EPD webpage as NRMCA EPD: 20080 Euclid Chemical. The EPD was developed in consultation with Béton Consulting Engineers, and was verified by Labeling Sustainability, a verifier in NRMCA’s EPD program.

The ready mixed concrete industry is publishing EPDs through NRMCA’s program at an unprecedented rate.  For NRMCA Producer member United Companies & Telluride Gravel in Colorado, the EPD reports the impacts for ready mixed concrete from 12 plants located within the state, among the largest number of plants verified since the start of the EPD program. Public access to the EPD is also available on the NRMCA EPD webpage as NRMCA EPD: 20081 United Companies & Telluride Gravel. The EPD was developed in consultation with and based on the CarbonCLARITY software tool by Climate Earth.

For Producer member Heidelberg Materials, public access to the EPD is available on the NRMCA EPD webpage as NRMCA EPD: 20082 Heidelberg Materials. The EPD reports the impacts for ready mixed concrete from two plants in the Birmingham, AL, market. The EPD was developed in consultation with and based on the Concrete LCA Calculator software tool by Athena Sustainable Materials Institute (ASMI).

Both of the above EPDs were reviewed verified by Industrial Ecology Consultants, a verifier in NRMCA’s EPD program. Both the ASMI Concrete LCA Calculator and CarbonCLARITY software tools integrate LCA impacts within batch operating software to generate EPDs when desired. The software tools were reviewed and verified by Industrial Ecology Consultants.

For more information, contact Matthew Lemay at mlemay@nrmca.org.