Circular construction
The Circular economy action plan, an essential part of the European Green Deal, supports the EU’s transition towards a circular economy to achieve climate neutrality targets and a more competitive EU. It aims for a sustainable built environment characterised by building material efficiency and reduced climate impact through circularity principles in the whole life cycle of buildings. To guarantee coherence across policy areas, such as construction materials and products, construction and demolition waste, climate, energy efficiency, accessibility, or digitalisation, a new comprehensive Strategy for a Sustainable Built Environment is expected in 2024.
The European Regulation on Construction Products – the Construction Products Regulation (CPR, EU Regulation No 305/2011) aims to harmonise the EU’s rules for marketing construction products. This regulation ensures that reliable information is available on the performance of construction products to promote the free movement of these products within the internal market. Specific aspects of the regulation are becoming increasingly important for circular and digital construction as the EU focuses on sustainability and digitalisation in the construction sector. The key components of the CPR are:
1. Harmonised European standards: These are developed by European standardisation bodies (CEN, CENELEC) and provide specific methods and criteria for assessing the performance of construction products.
2. European Technical Assessments (ETAs): ETAs can be issued based on the European Assessment Document (EAD) for products not covered by harmonised standards.
3. Declaration of Performance (DoP): Manufacturers must provide a DoP for each construction product placed on the market, detailing the product’s performance according to the relevant harmonised standards or technical assessments. The DoP includes information on product characteristics relevant to essential requirements such as mechanical resistance, stability, safety, and sustainability.
4. CE Marking: Products covered by the CPR must bear the CE marking, indicating conformity with the DoP and applicable EU standards. This marking is crucial for products to be freely traded within the EU. The assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP system) applicable to each essential characteristic will require, in some cases, that a Notified Body performs some additional tasks.
5. Sustainability and Environmental Performance: The EU increasingly integrates environmental performance criteria into the CPR. This includes measures to assess the environmental impact of construction products over their life cycle, promoting the use of sustainable and recyclable materials. The regulation encourages manufacturers to adopt practices that reduce waste and improve resource efficiency, contributing to a circular economy. Some examples of the certification system and environmental declarations are BREEAM, Level(s), DGNB, ETV, and ISO standards.
- Recycled Materials: The CPR supports using recycled materials in construction products. Harmonised standards are being updated to include criteria for recycled content, ensuring that these materials meet the same safety and performance standards as new materials.
- Product Life Cycle (LCA): CPR promotes the assessment of products over their entire life cycle, from production to end-of-life, encouraging practices that enhance the durability and recyclability of construction materials.
6. Waste Framework Directive (WFD) sets the basis for waste management, including the definition of waste, recycling, and recovery. According to this Directive, Member States were obliged to reuse, recycle and recover 70% of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste by 2020 and minimise waste generation.
Digital Construction
1. Building Information Modelling (BIM): The EU supports the integration of BIM in construction projects, which facilitates digital planning, design, and management. BIM enhances collaboration across the supply chain and ensures accurate and up-to-date information about construction products and their performance.
2. Digital Documentation: The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) encourages the use of digital tools and platforms to manage information related to construction products, such as digital Declaration of Performance (DoP) and CE markings.
- Digital Tools and Databases: CPR encourages developing and using digital tools and databases to manage information on construction products, including digital DoPs and CE markings.
- Digital Product Passport (DPP): This provides comprehensive information about a product’s environmental sustainability (durability, reparability, etc.) and its entire value chain. DPP is a key element of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which was implemented in 2024.
- Digital platforms can provide easy access to product performance data, environmental impact assessments, and other critical information, improving transparency and efficiency in the construction sector (for example, CinderoSS; Gaia-X Ecosystem).
3. Smart Construction Products and IoT: the link between the physical products and the Declaration of Performance (DoP). Access to the extensive and valuable information provided in a harmonised digital platform: the regulation is adapting to include provisions for smart construction products, which incorporate digital technologies to enhance their performance, monitoring, and maintenance. These products can communicate data about their condition and usage, contributing to more efficient and sustainable building management practices. The regulation is adapting to include smart construction product provisions incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. These products can be monitored and reported on in terms of their performance and condition.
- The Digital Building Logbook is a common repository for relevant building data. It facilitates transparency, trust, informed decision-making, and information sharing among building owners and occupants, financial institutions, and public authorities in the construction sector.
Future of the circular and digital construction:
- Fostering innovation: Encouraging the development of new materials and technologies that support sustainability and digitalisation in the construction industry.
- Green Public Procurement: The regulation empowers the European Commission to set mandatory environmental sustainability requirements for public procurement of construction products. This measure boosts the supply and demand for environmentally sustainable products.