Generic Materials Data Production at One Click LCA

What do we mean by generic materials data?

One Click LCA produces generic materials data required for life cycle assessment (LCA), including environmental impact data for key materials used in construction such as concrete, steel, wood, glass, plastics and textiles.

Generic materials data represents average data across an entire industry sector or product category and it is a calculated estimate, rather than a specific measurement for a single product.

Why do we produce generic materials data?

At One Click LCA, we understand that specific and local data for a particular construction material might not always be available and that you still need high-quality data to complete the life cycle assessment (LCA) for your project.

We produce generic materials data to provide you with a reliable alternative when product or manufacturer-specific information is not available, e.g. in the form of Environmental Product Declarations (EPD).

How do we make generic materials?

The material composition, also known as bill of materials (BOM) or bill of quantities (BOQ), for generic materials is obtained from publicly available, scientific LCA studies or comparable articles. The environmental impacts of these material components, when applicable, are modelled with generally available or customised life-cycle inventory (LCI) data and/or pre-existing generic materials data, including such produced by One Click LCA.

The generic material is modelled using software for EPD creation and passes through a rigorous quality assurance process before publication, including automated benchmarking against existing datasets in the world’s largest construction LCA database. 

What step-by-step process do we apply?

When producing generic materials data at One Click LCA, we follow a rigorous four-step process to ensure quality, accuracy and transparency.

1. Sourcing upstream and quantitative data

We gather information from published scientific studies. The first step is to identify and obtain a reliable scientific article relevant to the desired generic material and ensure that it provides all required details on material inputs used during the manufacturing phase. The example below in Figure 1 illustrates data sourced for creating a generic for lime-stabilised rammed earth wall. 

Figure 1: Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (I/O) inventory model used for lime stabilised rammed earth wall. “Life cycle analysis of environmental impacts of earthen materials in the Portuguese context: Rammed earth and compressed earth blocks”, Jorge Fernandes et al. 2019

In some cases, we combine data from multiple studies for a more comprehensive and detailed model. If information is missing, we fill the gaps with data for sufficiently similar products from verified LCA studies or bills of quantities/materials.

2. Modelling with EPD creation software

We create the model for the generic material once all input data, input processes, input and output material and elemental flows have been obtained. The model incorporates all collected data on material inputs and energy consumption. The generic material is modelled using One Click LCA software for EPD creation, and the process is identical to that of EPDs. 

In some cases, certain impacts are not included in the model calculation due to a lack of available source data. We provide clear explanations of any assumptions or exclusions made during data creation in the dataset description.

When commercially available, the modelled construction products often come in a variance of shapes and sizes, as well as with or without additive materials. The described variance is dependent on a multitude of factors, one of which is economic or trade region. We seek to model our generic materials to be representative in as many commercial areas as possible.

3. Review and internal verification process

The LCA data expert responsible for modelling the specific generic material in question is supported by a team of experienced peers throughout an internal quality assurance process to ensure model accuracy, rigidity and integrity.

First, the manufacturing model and resulting environmental impacts are reviewed as a stand-alone case to verify calculation logic and completeness of data. The expertise of the LCA data team at One Click LCA is critical in ensuring the high quality and reliability of this manual review and verification phase.

Second, the resulting environmental impacts are benchmarked against other LCA data. This is conducted using an internal, automated benchmarking feature in One Click LCA software for EPD creation where the environmental impacts of the new generic materials are compared against impacts of other materials, both identical and with similar characteristics within the same material category. Benchmarks use industry EPDs, other generic materials data and calculated industry averages based on data published anywhere in the world. Critical to the performance and reliability of this automated benchmarks-based verification process is the world’s largest construction LCA database at One Click LCA.

4. Publishing and availability

Once the review process is complete and data quality has been confirmed, the generic material is published and becomes available in the One Click LCA database. You can now find the data in our software for both design & construction and manufacturing. 

In most cases, One Click LCA generic materials include environmental impact indicators as required by all regulations, standards and Green Building Councils (GBC) across the world so you can find it via the materials search feature in most of our tools - subject to the specific rules applicable to the use of generic data in the tool in question of course.

One Click LCA generic materials typically include environmental impacts for standards EN 15804+A2, EN 15804+A1, TRACI, ISO 14040, ISO 14044 and ISO 21930. They also typically include additional indicators as required by specific Product Category Rules (PCR) and EPD programs globally, including International EPD System, INIES France, Boverket Sweden and EPD Norge.

The published generic material description provides information about the dataset and source data. It also provides transparent explanations about any assumptions or exclusions made during data creation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why are environmental impacts different in a One Click LCA generic material compared to an EPD for a similar product?

One Click LCA generic materials are modelled to be usable globally, representing average production methods and technology. For this reason, material and energy inputs are global and not specific to your country. This is a conscious choice to make One Click LCA generic materials both available globally and conservative in terms of environmental impacts. In other words, you can expect somewhat higher environmental impacts from a One Click LCA generic material than from an actual EPD applicable to your country.

Can I request One Click LCA to produce generic materials data needed in my LCA projects?

Yes. You can contact our Customer Success team to request the production of new generic materials data that you need in your LCA projects.

We recommend that you make the generic materials data production order via your support services subscription to ensure timely delivery. This is a paid service and our team is happy to assist you with details and options.

We are also happy to receive feedback, ideas and requests for generic materials data. You can do this for free via our Customer Success team. The drawback is that we can’t guarantee that your requested generic materials data will in fact be produced, as One Click LCA will evaluate and prioritise such production based on the needs of its global customer base.

Please also bear that the experts at LCA data team will need to assess if it is possible to fulfil your request, as not all requests can be completed. As explained in this article, generic materials data production is limited by the availability of reliable LCA studies that can be sourced for accurate information.

If you have specific data you wish to use you can also add it directly to your company account via the user interface as Private data. This feature is available to all Expert licence users and the instructions on how to create Private data can be found here.