BRE EN 15804 EPD Hub Guidance.GD083.Issue 1.0.final · Selecting this action allows the user to download a draft EPD. ... strength between 2.9 and 3.5 N/mm2 to BS EN 771-4; and thermal

Guidance Note for completion of BRE Global EN 15804 EPD on-line tool: EPD Hub

GD083

GD083 Issue 1.0 EPD Hub Guidance Note 2

Uncontrolled copy if printed. Valid on day of printing only. © BRE Global Ltd 2014

Contents

1 Purpose of this Guidance Note................................................................................................... 4

1.1 Changes/amendments issued since first publication........................................................... 4

2 General Introduction ................................................................................................................. 4

3 Creating an EPD ......................................................................................................................... 5

3.1 Product .............................................................................................................................. 6

3.2 Factory ............................................................................................................................... 7

3.3 Information Modules ......................................................................................................... 8

3.4 Construction Product ......................................................................................................... 8

3.4.1 Product Description .................................................................................................... 8

3.4.2 Technical Information ................................................................................................. 9

3.4.3 Manufacturing Process ............................................................................................... 9

3.4.4 Construction/Installation ............................................................................................ 9

3.4.5 Use Information ......................................................................................................... 9

3.4.6 Reference Service Life ................................................................................................ 9

3.4.7 End of Life ................................................................................................................ 10

3.5 Product Content ............................................................................................................... 10

3.6 LCA Rules ......................................................................................................................... 10

3.6.1 Declared/Functional Unit .......................................................................................... 11

3.6.2 System Boundary...................................................................................................... 11

3.6.3 Data Sources, Quality and Allocation ........................................................................ 11

3.6.4 Cut-off Criteria ......................................................................................................... 11

3.7 Results ............................................................................................................................. 11

3.8 Scenarios ......................................................................................................................... 12

3.8.1 Construction stage – Modules A4 and A5 .................................................................. 13

3.8.2 Use stage, related to the building fabric – Modules B2, B3, B4 and B5 ...................... 13

3.8.3 Use stage, related to the building operation – Modules B6 and B7 ........................... 15



3.8.4 End-of-life stage – Modules C1, C3, C4 and C2 .......................................................... 15

3.8.5 Benefits and loads beyond the system boundary – Module D ................................... 16

3.9 Interpretation .................................................................................................................. 16

3.10 References ....................................................................................................................... 16

3.11 Uploads ............................................................................................................................ 17

3.12 Additional Information ..................................................................................................... 18

3.13 LCA Consultant Details ..................................................................................................... 19

3.14 Submitting the EPD for verification................................................................................... 19

4 Viewing a Verified EPD and Verification Report ........................................................................ 20

5 Modifying an EPD returned for correction................................................................................ 21

6 Updating an existing verified EPD ............................................................................................ 23

7 Recommended further reading ................................................................................................ 23



1 Purpose of this Guidance Note

This Guidance Note is provided to support members of BRE Global's EN 15804 verified EPD scheme using the BRE Global on-line tool, EPD Hub, to upload the content of their registered EPD.

The BRE Global EPD template has been developed according to the requirements of:

• BRE Global Product Category Rules for Type III environmental product declaration of construction products to EN 15804:2012+A1:2013 (BRE PCR, PN 514)

• EN 15804:2012+A1:2013. Sustainability of construction works – Environmental product declarations – Core rules for the product category of construction products

• EN 15942:2011. Sustainability of construction works – Environmental product declarations – Communication formats: business to business.

1.1 Changes/amendments issued since first publication

This Issue 1.0 of the Guidance Note GD083, published in June 2014, supersedes Issue 0.0 published in October 2013 and takes into account enhancements to EPD Hub as well as updates to the applicable standards and the BRE PCR, PN 514.

2 General Introduction

EPD Hub is compatible with the following web browsers: Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.

The BRE Global EN 15804 EPD template on EPD Hub shall be completed by members of the BRE Global EN 15804 EPD verification scheme to upload their EN 15804 EPD prepared according to the BRE Global PCR for verification. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) practitioner who carried out the LCA study may be able to support the member in completing the LCA-related sections of the EPD.

This Guidance Note is in addition to on-line guidance included within EPD Hub. Text sections of the template are subject to character limits and images (pictures, logos, graphs) are subject to quality requirements; these are described here and in EPD Hub. All LCA result values shall be provided to 3 significant figures (in line with EN 15942:2011).

Members are provided with unique login details which provide access to the Member Homepage of EPD Hub, located on the BRE website http://epdhub.bre.co.uk. The Home page includes various EPD search options and a list of all the EPD entries for the particular member. For the contents of the EPD list, see Section 3.12 of this Guidance Note. A new EPD is created by clicking the ‘New EPD’ button on the bottom right hand side of the Member Homepage (Figure 1).

The Member Homepage also includes a ‘Manage Account’ link at the top of the page to allow the user manage login information. Clicking this link reveals an option to reset the EPD Hub password. There are no restrictions/requirements on the format of the password.

http://epdhub.bre.co.uk



Figure 1: Member Homepage – Filter options and EPD List.

3 Creating an EPD

This Guidance Note is divided into categories and sub-categories according to the tabs and sections as displayed in the ‘Create EPD’ page (see Figure 2 and flow process below) which is accessed using the ‘New EPD’ button on the EPD Hub Member Homepage. In addition to these tabs, the ‘Create EPD’ page provides information as described in the following table:

Field name Information provided

Declaration No The EPD number, auto-generated when details of the product are entered for a new EPD

Version The version of the EPD. For a new EPD this will be labelled version 1

Stage The stage of the current EPD, e.g. “Unverified New”, “Unverified in Progress”, etc.

Figure 2: Section tabs for data entry.



The flow process for creating a new EPD is as shown below, beginning by clicking the ‘New EPD’ button on the bottom left hand corner of the Member Homepage.

All the tabs on the ‘Create EPD’ page are described in the following sub-sections. Note that all of the information filled in by the member can be amended before submission of the EPD for verification if required. Once submitted, no further changes can be made, unless following a request for correction by the BRE Global EPD Verifier.

3.1 Product

General information about the product shall be provided in this tab as follows:

1. Enter information into fields as described in the following table:

Field name Required information

Product Name <Trade name of the product for which the EPD has been derived>

Declared/Functional Unit <Declared unit or Functional unit information>

EPD Type <The type of EPD, using the drop down provided (cradle to gate, cradle to gate with options, or cradle to grave)>



Field name Required information

Company Name <The owner of the declaration (typically the manufacturer)>

Address <The contact details of the owner of the declaration – this may be the manufacturer’s main address or the registered head office. Please complete all form fields provided. If this address is a manufacturing site where the product being declared is manufactured, please also tick the box provided>

Alternative Email <Please enter an alternative email address. Note: Where the user is not the Scheme Member (e.g. a LCA Consultant working on behalf of the Member), please provide the user’s email address here, as all correspondence from the tool will be copied to this address>

2. Click ‘save product’ button – the details are saved and a prompt to enter a company image (logo) shall be displayed

3. Upload a good quality company logo (image size H 75 pixels, W 264 pixels)

4. Click ‘save product’ button again.

NOTE 1: The type of EPD selected will automatically populate a summary table in the system as well as generate optional information modules available for selection in the ‘Information Modules’ tab of EPD Hub (Section 3.3 of this Guidance Note).

NOTE 2: Once the details for a new EPD have been entered onto EPD Hub, a draft of the EPD is available for viewing. This draft EPD is available to download throughout the EPD submission process, enabling the user to preview what has been entered so far and how the EPD will look when issued. To access the draft EPD:

1. Return to the Home Page by clicking ‘Home’

2. The drop-down list on the ‘Actions’ tab on the EPD entry will include a selection ‘Draft’. Selecting this action allows the user to download a draft EPD.

3.2 Factory

This tab enables the member to enter the address details of the manufacturing sites for the product being declared. If the main address provided in the ‘Product’ tab was also ticked as a manufacturing address, the ‘Factory’ tab will display this address automatically. Additional manufacturing sites for the product can be entered as follows:



1. Click the ‘+ Add new item’ button and complete all the form fields provided for the address entered

2. Click ‘Update’ button to save and return to the list

3. Repeat steps 1 to 2 to add as many manufacturing sites as required for the EPD

4. All the addresses entered can be edited using the buttons indicated.

NOTE 3: The manufacturing sites to be included in the EPD are the sites included in the LCA study.

3.3 Information Modules

The available information modules list is auto-generated based on the EPD type previously selected in the ‘Product’ tab; mandatory modules are greyed out.

1. Select the optional modules to be included in the EPD as appropriate. The template also allows the inclusion of aggregated results for the Product stage information modules A1/A2/A3

2. Click ‘Save Information’ button at the bottom right of the page. This saves the selections made, and returns the user to the ‘Product’ tab.

3.4 Construction Product

This tab covers relevant information on the construction product: product description, technical information, manufacturing process. If applicable, additional brief information shall be provided on: construction/installation instructions, use, the reference service life, and end-of-life of the construction product. In total there are 7 form fields provided on this page and after completion, using the ‘Save Construction’ button at the bottom right corner of the page saves the information entered and returns the user to the ‘Product’ tab.

3.4.1 Product Description

In addition to a simple product description, the text entered in this field shall also include a description of the product use or application, as well as links to web-based information where available. (Character limit: 500)



Example: ‘Owiro® aircrete block is a lightweight high strength block manufactured to the highest performance standards using over 70% recycled content. Owiro® aircrete block is used in foundations, external walls, partitions and separating walls in domestic and commercial buildings.’

3.4.2 Technical Information

This section covers technical data, e.g. strength, thermal conductivity, density, thickness, weight, etc. as appropriate. (Character limit: 500)

Example: ‘Owiro® aircrete blocks have a density range of between 420 and 500 kg/m3; compression strength between 2.9 and 3.5 N/mm2 to BS EN 771-4; and thermal conductivity of between 0.11 and 0.19 W/m.K.’

3.4.3 Manufacturing Process

In this section, provide a brief description of the manufacturing process. Include references to other more detailed sources of information if available. (Character limit: 2000)

Example: ‘The process involves mixing weighted quantities of the primary raw material inputs in a temperature-controlled vessel. When the mixture has the required viscosity it is then transferred into moulds, heat treated and cut to sizes.’

3.4.4 Construction/Installation

If applicable, include any special installation instructions and provide references to other more detailed sources of information if available. (Character limit: 500)

Example: ‘Damp proof membrane should be incorporated into the base course bed joint as standard pre-construction works. The block installation process in the external wall construction shall be according to the British Standards and approved building regulations. Finishing for the inner leaf shall take into consideration the manufacturer requirement for drying time and recommended internal coating specifications.’

3.4.5 Use Information

If applicable, information relating to the use of this construction product shall be entered here, such as emissions to air. (Character limit: 500)

Example: ‘There are no known harmful emissions to air or adverse effects on the internal air quality when Owiro® aircrete block is used as the internal leaf. The reported fire resistance of Owiro® blocks is as a result of the closed micro-cellular structure of the blocks and the use of non-combustible raw materials. This contributes to making a safer living environment for future occupants.’

3.4.6 Reference Service Life

If applicable; a reference service life shall be provided for a cradle to grave EPD or for a cradle to gate with options EPD where modules B1 to B5 have been declared in the EPD. (Character limit: 500)

Example: ‘For the Owiro® aircrete block within all building types, a typical service life of 80 years has been modelled.’



3.4.7 End of Life

Manufacturer guidelines for disposal, hazardous components, etc. (Character limit: 500)

Example: ‘Owiro® aircrete blocks can be disposed in landfill as inert waste. From deconstruction and demolition works, typically as much as 90% of the blocks can be recovered for reuse as crushed aggregate or recycled in various other construction works.’

3.5 Product Content

This tab allows the declaration of material content – subject to confidentiality issues. Information provided in the text fields shall be presented in a table of ‘Product Contents’ in the ‘Construction Product’ section of the EPD as follows:

Material/Chemical Input %

<Material input 1> <XX>

<Material input 2, etc.> <XX>

1. Click ‘+ Add new item’ button

2. Fill in the fields as required, entering the contents values as a percentage of the quantity declared or referred to by the functional unit. It is anticipated that the values entered will be approximate percentages

3. Click ‘Update’ to save the details

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 to add more materials as required

5. All the data entered can be edited or deleted using the buttons provided.

3.6 LCA Rules

This tab is for entering the life cycle assessment calculation rules. The declared or functional unit shall be stated in full, along with the system boundary, information covering the data period used in the study, the source(s) of the data, the quality, allocation and assumptions made, and the database(s) and version used as described below. In total there are 4 form fields provided on this tab



and after completion, using the ‘Save LCA Rules’ button at the bottom right corner of the page saves the data entered and returns the user to the ‘Product’ tab.

NOTE 4: This section in the EPD shall also include a clearly defined process flow diagram (which is uploaded in the EPD Hub ‘Uploads’ tab, see Section 3.11 of this Guidance note), specific to the product assessed.

3.6.1 Declared/Functional Unit

In this field the declared or functional unit shall be stated in full as appropriate. (Character limit: 500)

Example: ‘1 tonne of Owiro® aircrete block with a product density of 460 kg/m3.’

3.6.2 System Boundary

The system boundary and cut-off shall be described in full. (Character limit: 500)

Example: ‘This cradle-to-gate with options analysis covers the processes occurring in the extraction of the raw materials (A1), the transport of the raw materials to the manufacturing site (A2), the manufacture of the product at the manufacturing site (A3), as well as the disposal at end-of-life (C4)’ OR ‘This is a cradle-to-grave EPD. Modules A1 to C4 inclusive are assessed. Benefits and loads beyond the system boundary (Module D) have not been included.’

3.6.3 Data Sources, Quality and Allocation

This form field allows information covering data period, source, selection, quality, allocation and assumptions, database and version to be entered. (Character limit: 2000)

Example: ‘The data provided by Lina Building Products Ltd covered the Watford manufacturing site for the period 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011. Data provided covered all products manufactured at the site. Allocation of materials, energy, water, emissions and waste to the Owiro® aircrete block has been done according to the provisions of the BRE PCR PN514 and EN 15804. All LCI datasets used have been taken from ABC database version 2.3 contained in XYZ software.’

3.6.4 Cut-off Criteria

In this form field the user shall state the completeness of the study system data used in the LCA study or any data exclusions, such as exclusions of particular raw material inputs due to minimal quantity or negligible impacts. (Character limit: 500)

Example: ‘All raw materials and energy input to the manufacturing process have been included’ OR ‘The raw material mix includes a very small quantity of recycled aggregate which is added to increase the viscosity. This input makes up 0.2% of the total material input by mass and has been excluded from the modelling.’

3.7 Results



This tab is the LCA Results section of EPD Hub. Depending on the EPD type earlier selected in the ‘Product’ tab, only LCA results for the applicable modules selected in the ‘Information Modules’ tab shall be included in the EPD. To simplify the entry of these values, a results spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel format has been provided on EPD Hub:

1. Click ‘Download Blank Spreadsheet’ button at the bottom left of the ‘Results’ tab to download the spreadsheet DownloadBlankLCATemplate.xls

2. Fill out the data cells accordingly. Care should be taken not to alter any aspects of the spreadsheet. All values entered in the spreadsheet shall be to 3 significant figures. No cells shall be left blank; enter ‘INA’ (indicator not assessed) in the cells for indicators that have not been assessed in the LCA study

3. Upload the completed spreadsheet using the ‘Uploads’ tab (see Section 3.11 of this Guidance Note).

NOTE 5: The spreadsheet includes a column A1/A2/A3 for aggregated results for the Product stage. If separate values have been provided using the individual columns A1, A2, and A3, and aggregated results have not been provided, enter NA (not applicable) in the cells of the aggregated column. If the user wishes to enter only aggregated results for the product stage, enter NA in cells for the individual columns of A1, A2, and A3.

If the user wishes to amend the LCA results already uploaded, this is done simply by re-uploading a new result spreadsheet on the ‘Uploads’ tab described in Section 3.11. The new results data will overwrite the old data.

3.8 Scenarios

In this tab the scenarios and additional technical information to be included in the EPD are entered using the drop down lists provided. The options provide further form fields, depending on the EPD type and the modules selected in the ‘Information Modules’ tab in Section 3.3 of this Guidance Note, which shall be filled out accordingly (e.g. there are no additional scenarios in a cradle-to-gate EPD). See EN 15804:2012+A1:2013, Clause 7.3, and the BRE Global PCR PN514, Clause 7.3, for further guidance on scenarios and additional technical information.

The information required for the different modules is as shown in the tables below, with some example texts. For sections where only a descriptive text is required, for example in B2 (Maintenance), where a description of the source of information for the maintenance process is required, ignore the ‘Unit’ and ‘Value’ form fields and provide information using only using the ‘Description’ form field. Data entered in the form fields is saved automatically.

NOTE 6: The data provided in the scenarios and additional technical information section shall be per declared or functional unit as stated on the EPD.



NOTE 7: For the respective information module tables, only rows with data entered shall be shown in the EPD.

3.8.1 Construction stage – Modules A4 and A5

Module A4 – Transport to the building site

Type of vehicle (truck/boat/etc.)

Fuel consumption per distance (L/km)

Distance (km)

Capacity utilisation (%)

Density of products (kg/m3)

<Text> <XX> <XX> <XX> <XX>

<etc.>

Module A5 – Installation in the building

Parameter Description Unit Value

Ancillary materials for installation <Text> <kg> <XX>

Water use <Text> <m3> <XX>

Energy use <Text> <kWh> <XX>

Energy use <Text> <MJ> <XX>

Waste materials from installation wastage <Text> <kg> <XX>

Waste materials sorted on site for recycling, energy recovery, disposal (specified by route)

<Text> <kg> <XX>

Direct emissions to air, soil and water <Text> <kg> <XX>

3.8.2 Use stage, related to the building fabric – Modules B2, B3, B4 and B5

Module B2 – Maintenance

Maintenance process description or source of information

<Text>


Maintenance cycle* <Text> <No./RSL or year>

<XX>

Ancillary materials for maintenance <e.g. cleaning agent> <kg/cycle> <XX>

Waste material resulting from maintenance <Text> <kg> <XX>

Net fresh water consumption during maintenance <Text> <m3> <XX>

Energy used during maintenance <e.g. electricity for vacuum clean> <kWh> <XX>

*not applicable if only Module B2 is declared as an optional module in a cradle-to-gate with options EPD



Module B3 – Repair

Repair process description or source of information <Text>

Inspection process description or source of information <Text>


Repair cycle <Text> <No./RSL or year>

<XX>

Ancillary materials for repair <e.g. lubricant> <kg/cycle> <XX>

Waste material resulting from repair <Text> <kg> <XX>

Net fresh water consumption during repair <Text> <m3> <XX>

Energy used during maintenance <e.g. electricity for crane> <kWh> <XX>

Module B4 – Replacement

Parameter Description Unit (e.g.) Value

Replacement cycle <Text> <No./RSL or year> <XX>

Energy used during replacement <e.g. electricity for crane> <kWh> <XX>

Exchange of worn parts during the product’s life cycle <e.g. steel sheet> <kg> <XX>

Module B5 – Refurbishment

Refurbishment process description or source of information

<Text>


Refurbishment cycle <Text> <No./RSL or year> <XX>

Material input during refurbishment <e.g. bricks, including ancillary materials>

<kg/cycle> <XX>

Waste material resulting from refurbishment <Text> <kg> <XX>

Other assumptions for scenario development <e.g. frequency of use> <Units as appropriate>

<XX>

Energy used during refurbishment <e.g. electricity for crane> <kWh> <XX>



3.8.3 Use stage, related to the building operation – Modules B6 and B7

Module B6 – Use of energy; and Module B7 – use of water


Ancillary materials <Text> <kg> <XX>

Net fresh water consumption <Text> <m3> <XX>

Energy use <Text> <kWh> <XX>

Power output of equipment <Text> <kW> <XX>

Characteristic performance <e.g. energy efficiency, emissions, etc.> <Units as appropriate>

<XX>

Other assumptions for scenario development

<e.g. frequency of use, number of occupants>

<Units as appropriate>

<XX>

3.8.4 End-of-life stage – Modules C1, C3, C4 and C2

End-of-life modules – C1, C3, and C4

Parameter Description Unit (e.g.) Value

Wastes collected separately <Text> <kg> <XX>

Wastes collected as mixed construction waste <Text> <kg> <XX>

Waste for re-use <Text> <kg> <XX>

Waste for recycling <Text> <kg> <XX>

Waste for energy recovery <Text> <kg> <XX>

Waste for final disposal <Text> <kg> <XX>

Other assumptions for scenario development <e.g. Transportation> <Units as appropriate> <XX>

Module C2 – Transport to waste processing

Type of vehicle (truck/boat/etc.)

Fuel consumption per distance (l/km)

Distance (km)

Capacity utilisation (%)

Density of products (kg/m3)

<Text> <XX> <XX> <XX> <XX>

<etc.>



3.8.5 Benefits and loads beyond the system boundary – Module D

Module D – Benefits and loads beyond the system boundary*

<Brief description of the reuse/recovery/recycling potential that has been modelled, and the benefits/loads associated with this potential secondary life, etc.> (Character limit: 1000)

*After entering text in the ‘Module D’ form field, use the ‘Save’ button at the bottom right of the page to save the information before proceeding to the next tab, ‘Interpretation’. This saving action is confirmed by a system message ‘Data saved successfully’.

3.9 Interpretation

The interpretation or summary describing conclusions from the results of the LCA study shall be entered into this tab. (Character limit: 5000)

1. Complete the form field as shown in the example below:

Example: ‘From the environmental impact results, the chemical material input causes the main impacts in the production of 1 tonne of Owiro® aircrete block. Within the environmental impacts reported however, the climate change impact (Global Warming potential) measured in kg CO2 equivalents is mainly as a result of the upstream processes for the chemical and for sand.’

2. Click ‘Save Interpretation’ button at the bottom right of the page to save the data entered and return to the ‘Product’ tab.

The interpretation may include up to 4 graphs/charts/images described in Section 3.11 (the ‘Uploads’ tab) of this Guidance Note.

3.10 References

5 references are listed by default in the EPD template in EPD Hub. These references are included in the list of documents in Section 7 (Recommended further reading) of this Guidance Note. The user can insert additional references to these as appropriate, for example any other applicable product standards, publications, and any additional relevant source(s) of information or documentation.

1. Click ‘Add New Item’ button

2. Fill out the text field provided, in line with the referencing format: ‘Author. Title. Publisher, Place, Year, Edition’

3. Click ‘Update’ button to save the data entered



4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 to enter more references as required

5. All the information entered can be edited or deleted using the buttons provided.

3.11 Uploads

This page (see Figure 3 below) allows the user to upload images (.jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .png) and documents (.pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx) on to the EPD template in EPD Hub:

• Product Image: Insert a high quality image of the product, either as just the product or as the product in use. Please pay attention to copyright laws. The image shall be suitably representative of the product. Image size H 152, W 264 (pixels)

• Process Flow Diagram: A clearly defined process flow diagram showing the system boundary. Image size H 530, W 640 (pixels)

• LCA results: This shall be uploaded using the ‘DownloadBlankLCATemplate.xls’ spreadsheet available to download from EPD Hub

• LCA Report: Upload the full ISO standard LCA background report in support of the results of the LCA presented in the EPD, to aid verification of the EPD

• Interpretation graphs: A maximum of 4 interpretation graphs or images can be uploaded. Image sizes H 375, W 300 (pixels).



Figure 3: Uploads tab.

NOTE 8: Each file must be uploaded separately, according to the displayed guidance. Notifications of files that have been successfully uploaded will appear in red font at the bottom of the page.

3.12 Additional Information

This tab has been provided to enable the user upload an additional document in support of the EPD verification on to EPD Hub. This additional document may be in either of the following formats: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, or .xlsx.

Where there are more than one document to be uploaded, please merge these as the tool allows the upload of only one file. If the documents cannot be merged, please contact the scheme administrator in order to submit directly to the scheme to be made available for the Verifier.



3.13 LCA Consultant Details

In this tab please enter details of the LCA consultant/practitioner who has carried out the LCA study as requested. This information will be automatically included in the EPD generated from the tool after successful verification and issue.

3.14 Submitting the EPD for verification

When all sections of the EPD have been completed on EPD Hub, the EPD shall be submitted for verification. Click ‘Home’ to return to the Member Homepage. Notice that the Homepage now includes an EPD list displaying the following information:

Column name Information

Declaration No./Version

The EPD declaration number that was auto-generated by EPD Hub, and the Version. The Version number is zero for an unverified EPD.

Product The name of the product as entered by the user when completing the ‘Product’ tab

Stage The stage of the EPD. For an EPD currently being completed, or that has been completed but has not been submitted for verification, this will be ‘Unverified in Progress’

Issued Date of issue of the EPD. This field is blank for an unverified EPD

Expires Expiration date of the EPD. This field is blank for an unverified EPD

Modified The date the EPD was modified

Actions Available user actions

To submit the EPD for verification:

1. Scroll down to the required EPD in the list of all EPD entries provided on the EPD Hub Member Homepage

2. The stage of the EPD will be shown as: Unverified in Progress

3. Select the required action in the ‘Actions’ column using the drop down list provided (see Figure 4). The actions available are described in the table below



Figure 4: Available actions prior to first submission of an EPD.

Action Meaning

View This allows the user to view the EPD. Corrections cannot be made to the EPD when this action is selected

Edit This allows the user to make corrections/amendments to any sections of the EPD

Draft This allows the user to view a downloadable draft of the actual EPD completed

Request This is the action for submitting the EPD for verification

NOTE 9: Use the ‘Draft’ action to view a draft of the EPD before submission. Any amendments to the contents of the EPD can then be made simply by returning to the relevant section of the EPD entry on EPD Hub.

If the user is satisfied with the EPD and all the required information has been entered, the final step is to submit the EPD for verification. When the ‘Request’ action is selected, the EPD submission is initiated and the system asks if the user wishes to submit the EPD for verification. Once the EPD is submitted, no further changes can be made unless following a request for correction by the BRE EPD Verifier

4. Following successful submission of the EPD, the user receives a confirmation email from the system administrator.

This completes the EPD submission process using EPD Hub. On the EPD list, the stage of the EPD will now be ‘Verification Requested’ and only the ‘View’ and ‘Draft’ actions will be available to the user.

4 Viewing a Verified EPD and Verification Report

Following successful verification of an EPD by the BRE Global Verifier, the stage of the EPD becomes ‘Passed Verification’. The verified EPD Certificate will only become available upon completion of the EPD issue process by the Scheme Administrator.

The user then receives a final email notification from the System Administrator.

To view and download the Verified EPD on EPD Hub:

1. Login to the Member Homepage of EPD Hub using the unique member login details



2. Scroll down to the required EPD in the list of all EPD entries provided on the EPD Hub Member Homepage. The stage of the EPD will be ‘Verification Released’

3. Select the required action in the ‘Action’ column using the drop down list provided (see Figure 5 below). The actions available are described in the table below

Figure 1: Available actions subsequent to the successful verification of the EPD.

Action Meaning

View This allows the user to view the EPD as completed and verified on EPD Hub

Certificate This allows the user to view and download the final issued verified BRE EN 15804 EPD

Checklist This allows the user to view and download the Verification Checklist completed by the BRE Verifier on EPD Hub

New Version

This allows the user select the verified EPD for modification, e.g. to update the information contained in the EPD in line with the Scheme requirements (see Section 6 of this Guidance Note below)

When the ‘Certificate’ or ‘Checklist’ action is selected, the user can view and download .pdf copies of the EPD or the Verification Checklist respectively.

This completes the EPD verification and issue process using EPD Hub.

5 Modifying an EPD returned for correction

The BRE Global EN 15804 EPD Verification Scheme allows for an EPD to be returned to the EPD owner for correction if required, by the BRE Global EPD Verifier as part of the verification process. Where an EPD has been returned for correction, an email notification will be sent to the user by the System Administrator.

To make the requested modifications:


2. Scroll down to the required EPD in the list of all EPD entries provided on the EPD Hub Member Homepage. The stage of the EPD will be ‘Correction Requested’

3. Select the required action in the ‘Action’ column using the drop down list provided. The actions available are described in the table below:



Action Meaning

View This allows the user to view the EPD. Corrections cannot be made to the EPD when this action is selected

Edit This allows the user to make corrections/amendments to any sections of the EPD

Submit This is the action for re-submitting the corrected EPD for verification

When the ‘View’ or ‘Edit’ action is selected, the EPD is opened either for viewing or for editing respectively.

4. Click ‘Check List’ tab to view the Verification Checklist. This checklist will provide information of the area(s) of the EPD that require correction or amendment. There are three columns in the Verification Checklist:

Column Information provided

Name The section of the EPD under verification. These sections are in line with the verification requirements of ISO 14025:2010 and the BRE EN 15804 Verification Scheme

Is Compliant This is a statement of the compliance (Yes) or non-compliance (No) of this section

Comment The verifier comments in support of the compliance statement

There is also a section at the bottom of the checklist, showing additional comments made by the BRE Global Verifier.

5. Proceed to make the correction/amendment in the section(s) indicated in the Verification Checklist. The correction can only be made if the EPD is selected in the Member Homepage using the ‘Edit’ action

6. When the corrections have been made, click ‘Home’ to return to the Member Homepage and select ‘Submit’ action to resubmit the corrected EPD for verification

7. Following successful re-submission of the EPD, the user receives a confirmation email from the system administrator.

This completes the EPD correction and re-submission process using EPD Hub. On the EPD list, the stage of the EPD will now be ‘Correction Submitted’ and only the ‘View’ action will be available to the user.

NOTE 10: In line with the BRE Global EN 15804 EPD Verification Scheme requirements, correction of the EPD by the user and re-submission for verification is permitted only once. If after this correction the BRE Global EPD Verifier is still unsatisfied the verification process will be deemed unsuccessful and an email notification will be sent to the user accordingly.



6 Updating an existing verified EPD

As described in Clause 9 of EN 15804:2012+A1:2013, a verified EPD is “valid for a 5 year period from the date of issue, after which it shall be reviewed and verified. An EPD shall only be reassessed and updated as necessary to reflect changes in technology or other circumstances that could alter the content and accuracy of the declaration. An EPD does not have to be recalculated after 5 years, if the underlying data has not changed significantly”. Therefore, there are two circumstances under which a verified EPD shall be updated:

1. When there has been a change as described in Clause 9 of EN 15804. This includes where the owner wishes to update the EPD to include additional products

2. At the end of the 5 year validity period

To update an existing verified EPD on EPD Hub:


2. Scroll down to the required EPD in the list of all EPD entries provided on the EPD Hub Member Homepage. The stage of the EPD will be ‘Verification Released’

3. Select the required action in the ‘Action’ column using the drop down list provided. The actions available are as shown in the table below:

Action Meaning

View This allows the user to view the EPD as completed and verified on EPD Hub

Certificate This allows the user to download the final issued verified BRE EN 15804 EPD

Checklist This allows the user to download the Verification Checklist issued by the BRE Verifier

New Version

This allows the user select the verified EPD for modification, e.g. to update the information contained in the EPD in line with the Scheme requirements (see Section 6 below)

4. When the ‘New Version’ action is selected, the user can update the existing EPD as required. A new version number is automatically added to the EPD Number on the system. Update the EPD and submit for Verification as described in Section 3 of this Guidance Note.

7 Recommended further reading

1. BRE Global. Product Category Rules for Type III environmental product declaration of construction products to EN 15804:2012+A1:2013. PN 514. Watford, BRE, 2014.



2. BSI. Sustainability of construction works – Environmental product declarations – Core rules for the product category of construction products. BS EN 15804:2012+A1:2013. London, BSI, 2013.

3. BSI. Sustainability of construction works – Environmental product declarations – Communication formats: business to business. BS EN 15942:2011. London, BSI, 2011.

4. BSI. Environmental labels and declarations – Type III Environmental declarations – Principles and procedures. BS EN ISO 14025:2010 (exactly identical to ISO 14025:2006). London, BSI, 2010.

5. BSI. Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework. BS EN ISO 14040:2006. London, BSI, 2006.

6. BSI. Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – requirements and guidelines. BS EN ISO 14044:2006. London, BSI, 2006.

For additional guidance on completing the EPD template contained in EPD Hub, please contact: The Scheme Manager, BRE Global EN 15804 EPD Verification Scheme, [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



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Documents

BRE EN 15804 EPD Hub Guidance.GD083.Issue 1.0.final · Selecting this action allows the user to download a draft EPD. ... strength between 2.9 and 3.5 N/mm2 to BS EN 771-4; and thermal