Precast—An Eco-friendly option?Precast—An Eco-friendly option?

Jim Lewis, RA, LEED AP

ASTM E60 Sustainability October19, 2009

LCA and PrecastLCA and Precast

• Why is an LCA important?

• What will PCI and the industry do with the results?

• Will we be transparent?

“Green∙wash (gren’wosh’,-wôsh’) – verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

“Green∙wash (gren’wosh’,-wôsh’) – verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

Source: www.sinsofgreenwashing.org

Truth?Truth?

• “Lighter, cleaner and more energy efficient than precast…”

The processThe process

An credible LCA requires:• Good data:

o Manufacturer data (9 precasters);

o PCA reports with LCI data on cement and concrete; and

o U.S. LCI database (NREL)

• A good process:o ISO 14040o ISO 14044

• Transparency:o External review team; ando Experienced consultant.

Credible partnerCredible partner

• LCA consultant– RFP creation– Lit review– Interview moderator

• Interviewed 3– Athena/Morrison Hershfield– PE Americas/Five Winds– CIRAIG

• External review team– Professor, Carnegie Mellon– Berkeley Labs– British Precast Association

OutcomeOutcome

Why an LCA?Why an LCA?

• To benchmark industry and back claims

• Requests—Owners

• Requirements—Congressional Caucus Coalition (hpbccc.org)

Comparative analysisComparative analysis

• 3 partners

• Phase 1: Comparative analysis

• Per ISO, specific requirements for disclosed, comparative assertion LCAs.

• Data for all products must be treated equally and be of similar quality.

Building scenariosBuilding scenarios

Envelope and abbreviation

Structure and abbreviation

Steel (S) Cast-in-place concrete (C)

Precast concrete (P)

Curtain wall (CW) S-CW C-CW P-CW

Brick and steel stud (S) S-S C-S P-S

Precast concrete (P) S-P C-P P-P

Insulated precast concrete (PI)

S-PI C-PI P-PI

Insulated precast concrete and brick veneer (PIB)

S-PIB C-PIB P-PIB

Under Ground Services - (Contain Liquid) - (Keep Liquid Out)   

  

Precast concrete only, full LCA

• New Eco-shape bottle uses 30% less plastic. 

• The new bottle weighs 12.5 grams which is 15% less. 

• Nestle estimates it will save 65 million lbs of plastic with Eco-shape.

• Cap was blue, which wasn’t recyclable.

Example: manufacturer changesExample: manufacturer changes

What do we do with an LCA?What do we do with an LCA?

• Improve our processes

• Improve our products

• Improve structures

Next stepsNext steps

• Phase 2-Building use

• Transportation products

Questions?

Thank you for your time!