Construction Products Regulation Research Articles

Requirements for cables as categories of construction products and thermal resistance of power cables

Introduction. One of the main driving factors of the demand for cable and conductor products is the modern trend of urbanization, which leads to an increase in cities with significantly increased requirements for electrical networks of transportation and distribution of electrical energy. This requires the development of appropriate infrastructure with significant demand for electricity in the commercial, industrial and residential sectors. The construction industry uses a wide range of cables with an appropriate set of electrical and mechanical properties, resistance to the influence of external climatic factors, and, first of all, must meet fire safety requirements. Increasing construction activity is stimulating the market for fire-resistant cables in the construction industry. According to the Construction Products Regulation, power, telecommunication cables, data cables, control and management, fiber optic refer to construction products in the EU member states. These cables are intended for the supply of electrical energy and communication, which are permanently installed in buildings and other engineering structures. Power, telecommunications, data and control cables are considered construction products, and are the only electrical products classified as construction. Over the next 15 years, Eastern Europe is expected to see increased growth in the construction industry, as the end of the war in Ukraine requires nearly $1 trillion in reconstruction. A strategic task in the reconstruction of the country is the use of cable and conductor products with increased operational properties, including in the construction industry. Significant efforts and investments in innovation and certification of cable and conductor products require manufacturers to create construction products of the «Power, control and communication cables» category with a high level of fire safety in accordance with the Euroclassification of cables in terms of reaction to fire depending on the level of safety. Purpose. Analysis of fire safety requirements for cables as a category of construction products and determination of thermal resistance of power cables based on experimental thermal studies of modern electrical insulating compositions. Methodology. The thermal stability of power cables with a voltage of 0,66/1 kV was determined, depending on the design, based on the conducted experimental studies of the thermal stability of electrical insulation materials, between the core filling and the polymer sheath, removed from the cable samples. On the basis of the conducted correlation analysis between thermal resistance and fire load, which are important parameters for confirming the quality and safety of the entire cable, it has been proven that the efficiency of halogen-free compositions to meet fire safety requirements increases with the increase in the cross-section and number of cores in the cable. Practical value. Determining the heat load and fire resistance of cables of various designs and areas of application based on the obtained experimental data on the heat of combustion of polymer cable materials is necessary and justified at the stage of mastering and determining the prospects for the production of cables with modern halogen-free electrical insulation compositions in accordance with fire safety requirements.

The system for determining the technical acceptability of construction products – the experience of Europe and Asia

Determining the technical acceptability of construction products becomes a determining factor that shapes trade, innovation and safety standards. The article reviews the system of determining the technical acceptability of the EU and some Asian countries. The European experience, embodied by the CE marking system, establishes a uniform approach in the EU member states. The importance of studying the European experience is emphasized by the orientation of Ukraine towards joining the EU, which will be facilitated by the transition of the construction sector to European standards. European countries have harmonized standards, such as the EN series, which begin with basic requirements for construction products. CE marking combined with conformity assessment procedures ensures compliance with strict quality and safety standards. Competent authorities have successfully addressed the role of third-party verification, while the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) has a level of regulatory oversight. This experience offers Ukraine a model of harmonization, promoting the creation of a single market and strengthening international confidence in its construction products. Asian countries, each with its own regulatory field, exemplify diverse approaches to determining technical acceptability. Countries such as Japan and China emphasize adherence to national standards and certification processes. The Japanese JIS standards and the JIS mark together with the Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) system are technical compliance standards not only in construction. Understanding the nuances of approaches in Asia gives Ukraine knowledge about adapting its own systems to regional requirements. The study of international approaches to the construction of a system for determining the technical acceptability of construction products and structures will contribute to international trade, ensuring the quality and safety of products, and innovations. Cross-border projects and the attraction of foreign investments contribute to the introduction of international practices that meet global standards. The introduction of the European system for determining the technical acceptability of building materials, which corresponds to the best international practices, not only the competitiveness of Ukrainian construction products, but also thanks to the global standardization of the construction industry, the economic integration of sustainable development, the experience of Europe and Asia allow to create a road map to ensure technical acceptability of construction products.

Sustainability Assessment of Cementitious Ceramic Tile Adhesives

This article presents the results of analyzing environmental impact indicators of thirteen ceramic tile adhesives (CTAs). The analyzed data came from ten third-party-verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) created in 2016–2022. The paper examines seven environmental impact indicators for modules A1–A3 (cradle-to-gate). Significant differences were observed between the values of environmental indicators, which, in the case of Global Warming Potential (GWP), differed by almost 270% in the most extreme case. For the depletion of abiotic resources (elements) (ADPe), the values of products differed by nearly fourteen thousand times. Results are discussed from the perspective of the CTAs’ manufacturer assessing the product. The analysis focused on issues such as the historical dimension of data, which is the basis for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the need for their constant updating, and the subject of uncertainty—usually wholly omitted in the considerations on the environmental impact of construction products. The results of the analysis were also evaluated in terms of the planned introduction of the new 3+ assessment system in connection with the future amendment of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). The results of the CTAs’ analysis of environmental indicators showed that, despite the EPDs functioning for a decade, the obligatory assessment of construction products in terms of sustainability using the 3+ system did not create the conditions for its proper occurrence. This analysis showed that, without obtaining reliable data on the environmental impact of CTAs, correct AVCP is not possible, and the consumer is not able to make proper choices.

LCA of building materials within the framework of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) in Europe

AbstractBuildings and constructed assets form the basis for economic and social development. However, their production, construction, maintenance and operation lead, among other things, to the use of natural resources and cause undesirable effects on the global and local environment. Increasingly, therefore, requirements for the environmental performance of buildings are being formulated in funding programs, sustainability assessment systems and legislation. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used as a method for recording, evaluating and influencing the environmental performance of buildings. The assessment of the environmental performance ‐ and as part of it ‐ the preparation of the LCA requires the provision and availability of environmentally relevant product information on all building materials, components and technical systems. Based on the draft of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) in Europe as well as the state of standardization, the contribution discusses how requirements for construction product characteristics and construction product information can be derived from the requirements for buildings. Consequences for product development and the communication of technical and environmental product information are discussed.

CE marking for geosynthetics

1st October 2002, CE Marking has been implemented for Geosynthetics and from 1st July 2013, it has been reinforced by the Construction Products Regulation (CPR 305/2011) making mandatory in all EEA Countries for manufacturers to apply CE Marking to any products covered by a harmonised European Standard (hEN) or a European Technical Assessment (ETA). Main principles of the CPR and of the harmonised European Standards are presented, including a rapid overview of the general rules imposed by the CPR, like Standardisation Request, position versus references to national requirements and assessment method(s). Secondly, the paper shows how to deal with CE Marking in practical use of Geosynthetics for the placement on the market and for specific requirements in construction jobs, for control of incoming products and for fit for purpose.

Understanding Sustainability of Construction Products: Answers from Investors, Contractors, and Sellers of Building Materials

Preventing environmental degradation and climate changes are some of the primary challenges of our civilization. Changes to the construction sector, which consumes vast amounts of raw materials, emits significant amounts of greenhouse gas and significant amounts of waste, are very important to reduce emissions and stop negative environmental changes. Regardless of the type of goal, an essential element to achieve it is understanding the purpose and tools necessary to implement appropriate and efficient solutions. This paper presents the survey results on understanding issues related to assessing construction products, including their environmental impact. The survey was conducted among professional groups related to construction, i.e., 181 investors, 522 contractors, and 116 sellers of construction products from various regions of Poland. Questions concerning thermal insulation materials and the external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS), the most widely used solution in the EU for the improvement of thermal performance of buildings, were asked. The obtained results indicate that the knowledge of the basic requirements of construction works under the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is not too high (the share of correct answers was respectively 33.5%, 23.2%, and 16.2% in contractors, sellers, and investors groups). Similarly, the awareness of the tested, related to the environmental burden in terms of GWP of insulation materials and components of ETICS, should be assessed (49.7% of investors, 57.1% sellers of construction products, and 76.4% contractors indicated the thermal insulation material as the ETICS component with the highest environmental impact in terms of GWP). The obtained research results indicate the need for further education for evaluating construction products and sustainability.

Groundwater risk assessment of leached inorganic substances from façades coated with plasters and mortars

A requirement of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) in the European Union states that construction materials and works must be designed in a way that throughout their entire life cycle, they have no exceedingly high impact on the environment. The objective of the current work was to evaluate the environmental risk of stormwater runoff from plasters and mortars using the Groundwater Risk Assessment (GRA). The source term eluates are based on the results obtained by a model for leaching prediction of inorganic substances for vertical test panels (VTPs) coated with plasters and mortars. During the evaluation, it was determined that vanadium, chromium, lead and zinc are relevant substances leached by plasters and mortars during rain events due to the high magnitude of concentrations, which can lead to a significant alteration in the chemical status of groundwater. The evaluation showed that chromium is the only leached substance that invalidates the applicability of one of the materials for a particular scenario of a selected technical construction application.

CE Marking of Construction Products—Evolution of the European Approach to Harmonisation of Construction Products in the Light of Environmental Sustainability Aspects

European harmonisation of construction products provides a uniform expression of performance aspects relevant for essential characteristics coming from notified technical building regulations of the EU Member States. Since the current regulation has been in force for over seven years, this study evaluates further possibilities of its evolution, including a more efficient approach to implementing environmental sustainability aspects. The provided research is based on qualitative analysis of the past and current legislation, official documents, related guidance, judgements, scientific articles and the author’s practical experience coming from participation in the European committees, organisations and standardisation activities. Various legislative techniques and regulatory tools that could be potentially used to review the Construction Products Regulation are analysed and compared with regards to their impact on the inclusion of environmental sustainability principles. Therefore, the objective of this research is to provide substantive grounds that can be directly or indirectly used in the policymaking processes on the European and national level.

Leaching prediction for vertical test panels coated with plaster and mortars exposed under real conditions by a PHREEQC leaching model

A requirement of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) in the European Union states that construction works must be designed in such a way that throughout their entire life cycle, they have no exceedingly high environmental impact. The objective of the current work was to simulate the leaching of selected metals and sulfate in vertical test panels (VTPs) covered by plaster and mortar. The investigation is based on 18-month leaching outdoor tests (LOT) under real weather conditions. A leaching model was developed using the geochemical model PHREEQC with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) thermodynamic data base and coupled with MATLAB in order to optimize the run-off and weather parameters. The model was calibrated by comparing the data from laboratory Dynamic Surface Leaching Tests (DSLT) with simulation results up to an acceptable fit. The parameters obtained were then used in the LOT simulations and validated. The model allows predictions on the substance discharge from various plasters and mortars under real weather conditions. Physical characteristics of the material (e.g., thickness and absorption capacity) play an important role in the leaching of substances in façades covered with plaster and mortar. The lower the thickness and absorption capacity of the material applied, the greater the run-off and discharge of leached substances.

Understanding of Construction Product Assessment Issues and Sustainability among Investors, Architects, Contractors, and Sellers of Construction Products in Poland

The building sector is one of the most critical branches of the economy influencing global warming today. Following the European Union’s Construction Products Regulation (CPR), the sustainable use of natural resources in construction is one of the seven basic buildings’ requirements. However, due to the lack of provisions in this regard, construction products are not yet subject to mandatory assessment and verification of the constancy of performance in this area. The paper presents the research results with the participation of 842 respondents who are investors, architects, contractors, and sellers of building materials. The analysis of their perceptions of issues related to the term sustainable development and knowledge of selected documents functioning in construction is presented. The share of people who correctly assigned the term sustainable development to equal treatment of environmental protection, economic development, and social development ranged between 52.5% and 65.7%. Knowledge of people associated with construction about the role of the declaration of performance (DoP) of construction products is high (from 73.9% to 99.4% correct answers). For Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), lower knowledge of this document’s role was noted, from 24.1% to 56.5% of correct answers. The obtained results indicate the need for further education.

The need of integrated renovation of the existing building stock in North Macedonia

Republic of North Macedonia is a seismic prone country with a long tradition and positive experience in the field of seismic design of new and strengthening of the existing buildings up to pre-defined levels of seismic protection. The principal seismic design philosophy which is stipulated in the regulations is based on protection of human lives against strong earthquakes and partially on controlled damage due to the so called frequent earthquakes. The current construction practice generally target only one of the seven basic work requirements for construction works defined in Construction Products Regulation (CPR, 2011) i.e. mechanical resistance and stability. Starting from 2013, when the first national regulation for energy performance of the building was issued, there are some positive initiatives/examples at national and local scale. These initiatives encompassed building capacities in construction sector in order to provide competent and qualified national workforce, necessary for achievement of national energy efficiency targets; launching the energy efficiency programs for public buildings at municipality level (pilot-project), research experimental program for developing innovative technology for earthquake resistant and energy efficiency buildings, etc. However, till today there is no integrated methodology which will target simultaneously earthquake resistance and eco-efficiency of the existing building stock in the country.

Risk mitigation for indoor air quality using the example of construction products – efforts towards a harmonization of the health-related evaluation in the EU

In Europe, the Construction Products Regulation sets harmonized conditions for the marketing of construction products with the objective of protecting the building users' health. Until now only three European countries have implemented requirements for the assessment of VOC emissions from construction products. Therefore, the European Commission is planning the issue of a delegated act on the communication of VOC emissions from construction products in the form of VOC classes. A key prerequisite for defining the VOC classes is the completion of the EU-LCI list currently being carried out by a group of experts from ten European countries. This paper reports on the development of the VOC class concept, the progress of the EU-LCI harmonization framework and Germany's current efforts to ensure a high level of health protection for building users and avoid dangers from construction product emissions.

Management of Market Surveillance Authorities for Construction Products

Background: The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) entered into full force in the European Union (EU) on 1 July 2013 aiming to improve the free movement of construction products. Several EU Commission Reports acknowledge as one of the main shortcomings, the less than active role of Member States in market surveillance and suggest examining and implementing methods for more efficient prioritisation and organisation of market surveillance activities. Objective: The purpose of the paper is to investigate management elements of the Market Surveillance Authorities (MSAs) for construction products in the EU. To this end, and to collect information on the current level of effectiveness of the organisational approach of the MSAs, it is imperative to collect information on the main relevant management activities of the MSAs, i.e. strategic analysis, risk assessment and performance measurement. Methods: The paper presents background information on the level of market surveillance in the EU. In order to provide further insight, a survey was carried out to collect information and views from representatives of the Member States’ MSAs of construction products participating in the EU committee “Administrative Cooperation Group for the Construction Products Regulation” (AdCo-CPR). Results: Through the findings of investigating management perspectives of the MSAs, it can be concluded that currently, market surveillance of construction products in the Member States markets is limited, and MSAs should consider implementing a quality management system to improve the effectiveness of market surveillance activities as well as to create public value. Conclusion: The findings also suggest that further investigation is needed to be related to strategy, risk and performance management of the MSAs in order to enhance performance and effectiveness.

A method to develop energy activated ETICS

We propose a method for developing an Energy Activated External Thermal Insulation Composite System (En-ActivETICS) for smart building envelopes that guarantees the required performance, durability, and service life of the building. The En-ActivETICS combines the traditional ETICS with phase change material (PCM) and flexible photovoltaics (FPV). These combined materials will become multifunctional, playing the roles of thermal insulator, heat accumulator, and energy generator with PCM lowering the temperature of FPV and therefore, increasing their efficiency. The En-ActivETICS is a new step in the development of building facade technology enabling to achieve a component that is classified as a functional material. The main result reported in the paper is the proposed method, which improves the existing technical approval guidelines for ETICS, entitled ETAG 004, when thermally activated components are added to the system. The method proposes research activities necessary to determine whether the novel wall system is in line with the essential requirements set to a building by the Construction Products Regulation. When tested according to the proposed method, a wall system should be comprehensively tested and technically documented active thermal insulation system that is aimed to give better building performance in terms of indoor environment, energy efficiency, and aesthetics.

Barriers and opportunities to reuse of building materials in the Norwegian construction sector

In spite of ambitious goals regarding implementing circular economy, many well-intended projects fail in practice. One essential question is how reuse of building materials from demolitions can be realized at industrial scale in the high-cost country of Norway? The paper points to barriers and opportunities for reuse of construction products and technical installations in Norwegian buildings. The technical, legislative and market barriers are interrelated and linked to 1) An undeveloped market due to lack of economic driving forces, 2) Lack of information about used construction products and 3) Inexpedient legislation that is not adapted to the sale and use of used building materials. Proposals for measures to increase reuse are linked to the legal framework, economic incentives, competence, information system/marketplace, technical control and certification procedures as well as risk management. It is recommended to clarify and adjust the regulations relating to both the trading and the use of reused construction products. Also, it may be useful to study how other EEA countries deal with the challenges presented by the Construction Products Regulation. The study will be further followed up by the NHP-network, consisting of 15 Norwegian building industry organizations.

Numerical simulation of EN 50399 standard test – Calibration and validation of a numerical virtual test

Wires and cables have recently been included in the EN 13501-6 classification standard within the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). Thus they need to be tested according to the EN 50399 standard. It consists in a large scale test for classification of vertically mounted cables. This test represents a limit to the development of new flame retarded cable formulations because of time and material consuming. Moreover, all the developed formulations cannot be tested. A solution for the development and orientation tests phase could be to predict the fire behavior of cables inside the EN 50399 apparatus, thanks to CFD simulations carried out with the computational fluid dynamics code Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). Nevertheless, due to their particular geometries and the complex phenomenon cables undergo, it is difficult to simulate and predict how they perform in such large scale test.So a first step is to evaluate the ability of FDS to reproduce quantitative results in terms of gas temperatures, velocity and heat fluxes distribution inside the test apparatus and in the cables environment for further evaluation of their fire performances. A numerical model of the test facility without burning cables is developed and assessed.When experimental results are compared with numerical calculations, good agreement is found for gas temperature and heat flux. Temperatures with order of magnitude up to 1000 °C in front of the burner and up to 200°C are observed between 400 and 500 mm above the burner. For the thermocouples located 1.3 m and 2.6 m above the burner, the maximum gas temperature achieved are close to 100 °C. The proposed numerical model gives correct thermal loads in the vicinity of the ladder and the cables during calibration tests and can be used for further evaluation of combustible material on cables.

Križno lamelirani les – lastnosti in zahteve

Cross-laminated timber (CLT or X-Lam) is a modern building material used for load-bearing construction purposes in residential and non-residential buildings. CLT production has been increasing rapidly in recent years. CLT is suitable for wall, floor, ceiling and roof elements in the construction of houses, multi-family apartment buildings, industrial and storage halls and other buildings and bridges. Manufacturers demonstrate compliance with the essential requirements of the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) on the basis of an initial type testing and the findings of a factory production control examination. In 2015, a harmonized European standard for CLT was adopted, which defines the requirements for built-in materials, the production and demonstration of constancy of performance, and the CE marking. The article presents the production technology and basic characteristics of CLT and the content of standard EN 16351.

FIRE DESIGN OF CLT IN EUROPE

The fire safety design of cross-laminated timber (CLT or X-Lam) in Europe is governed by the Construction Products Regulation and its essential requirements, as for all other building products. These requirements are mandatory, to be used in all European countries. They include classification systems for reaction to fire of building products, fire resistance of building elements, and structural Eurocodes. The reaction-to-fire performance of CLT in accordance with the European classification system is specified. Higher classes can be reached by chemical treatments, but the durability of the reaction-to-fire performance needs to be fulfilled according to a new European system. The fire resistance design of CLT building elements is not included in Eurocode 5, the structural Eurocode for timber, but can be either tested according to European standards or calculated by using design methods being developed recently. This article provides information about both reaction to fire and fire resistance of CLT in Europe.

CE Marking and declaration of conformity for constructed wetlands for up to 50 PT built in series exemplary explained with the initial type test of the treatment efficiency performance

Small constructed wetlands for up to 50 PT built in series are subject to two different fields of law. To place the product on the European market the construction law has to be respected and the product usually needs to be CE-marked. To operate such a plant and discharge the treated wastewater, the national water law needs to be respected and in some countries national approvals are required. This paper highlights the aspect of the construction law. The paper introduces and gives a brief overview of the current legal situation in Europe under the construction products regulation 305/2011, the content of the EN 12566 and its mandatory initial type tests. A CE-marked product gives the manufacturer the opportunity to market it anywhere on the European market. Only national aspects from the water law concerning effluent requirements and operation need to be respected additionally, if existent. In order to enable the manufacturer to CE-mark and declare the conformity of the constructed wetland system, the most important testing is the practical treatment efficiency test of the smallest model of the range and is therefore presented in more detail.

Leaching of PCE-based Superplasticiser from Microfine Cement: a Chemical and Ecotoxicological Point of View

The construction materials industry faces major challenges since 2013 when the European Construction Products Regulation was implemented, especially in the sector of environmentally friendly construction products. This study determined concentrations of leachable inorganic and organic compounds from microfine cement paste with and without superplasticiser addition. Furthermore, the leached superplasticiser amounts were detected via LC-MS. The multi-method approach was supplemented by ecotoxicological assays. Phytotoxicity was tested with white mustard (Sinapis alba) and cress (Lepidium sativum). The mutagenic and genotoxic potential of the leachates was tested with the Ames fluctuation assay and the umuC assay. As leaching protocol, the European horizontal dynamic surface leaching test was used. The cement paste samples with superplasticiser followed the wash-off effect with a total organic carbon release up to 43 mmol/m2, whereas the release of samples without superplasticiser was driven by diffusion. The ecotoxicological assays showed a clear time depending behaviour. No cytotoxicity and mutagenicity could be observed; anyhow some leachates show minor genotoxic potential. In all tests, a clear difference between the samples with and without superplasticiser could be detected. This study clearly demonstrates the importance of further studies in the field of leaching of construction products.