Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) of the new road bridge over the River Po
Brief
Perform an EPD study and a LCA for the road bridge over the River Po as a pilot exercise in the application of these methods as a tool for assessing environmental sustainability and communication in relation to road infrastructure.
Project challenge
to perform a LCA for a large infrastructure and obtain the first EPD certification of a road bridge in Italy.
Solution
the LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) for the (new bridge over the river Po on State Road no. 9 in the Via Emilia section between San Rocco al Porto (LO) and Piacenza) and subsequently the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) was prepared in accordance with the relevant standards and technical regulations.
Execution phases
Development, and subsequent validation by an independent third party, of the PCR (Product Category Rules) for Bridges and elevated highways, which defined the requirements for conducting of road bridges LCA for EPDs.
Acquisition of all the project documentation of the work and other information and data concerning both the infrastructure and the construction site.
Execution of the LCA in accordance with ISO 14040-44 standards, using the SimaPro calculation software for data processing.
Preparation of the Environmental Product Declaration EPD according to the requirements of the International EPD ® System, one of the most widespread certification schemes for class-3 labels (ISO 14025) at international level.
EPD certification acquisition following verification by an independent certification body.
Achieved results
The LCA made it possible to calculate the environmental impacts related to the life cycle of the new road bridge over the River Po, based on its length and the structure’s designed useful life. The environmental performance results were stated in an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) which was validated, together with the LCA study, and certified by an independent body.
