Research project P2/05 (Research action P2)
Context
One of the objectives of the European Construction Products Directive (CPD) is to harmonize the technical specifications with regard to dangerous substances and construction materials. Construction products could emit or contain substances that have been defined as dangerous substances under Commission directives and national regulations. In the future construction products may only be placed on the market in the European Union if they accord with the harmonised technical specifications and bear the CE mark.
Project description
Objectives
The goal of this research project is to improve the flow of knowledge and information vis-à-vis normalisation activities in the domain of indoor air measurements, indoor product emission testing, labelling and certification by proposing an evaluation method and standardised assessment methods for a harmonised approach relating to emissions from building materials into indoor air for implementation in Belgium. This approach will comply with current harmonizing efforts ongoing on European level.
Methodology
To achieve this goal following methodological approach will be used:
• preparation and follow up of the current evolutions in European standardisation processes and dangerous substances by participation in the new technical committee TC 351 established in November 2005 by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and in EOTA working group PT9 “regulated substances”,
• phase 1: Document all available information regarding CPD, construction products, dangerous substances and indoor air by means of state of the art reports which serve as the backbone for phase 2,
• phase 2: Development, modification and comparison of test methods for use in laboratory and in situ,
• phase 3: Translation of the results into a Belgian evaluation model for emission of dangerous substances from construction products into indoor air.
Interaction between the different partners
To achieve this goal a task force between BBRI (construction research centre), ULg (university) and VITO (scientific institute) was established. The BBRi has a strong involvement in the needs of the construction sector by means of the different technical committees on national and international level and, on the other hand, its advisory service which gives about 20.000 advices per year to the building sector. By this task force the necessary expertise on construction products, standardisation, technical approvals and test & validation methods concerning dangerous substances and odour is consolidated.
Results
Expected results and/or products
• State of the art report documenting all available information on standards, test methods/protocols, labels, dangerous substances, relevant building materials and available emission data for the determination of emissions from construction products into indoor air
• Results (data sets) of experiments performed with complementary methods
• Correlation between laboratory and in situ emission methods
• Developed fast screening method for volatile organic compounds
• Methodology for microbial resistance
• Odour test for use in laboratory and in situ
• Analysis method for semivolatile organic compounds
• Test method including evaluation for the emissions of dangerous substances from construction products into indoor air
• Website on which information will be made available
Contribution of the project in a context of support to innovation and transfer of knowledge
This research project for implementation of the essential requirement “Hygiene, health and the environment” of the Construction Products Directive will besides its informative and sensitizing role also perform a supporting role in the development of new innovative low emission construction products. Furthermore this research project will lead to the development of new innovative test methods tailored to the specific needs of construction products.
Partners
Activities
All three partners are complementary equipped regarding emission measurements. BBRI will execute building product emission testing in a µ-test chamber, VITO in a “medium-sized” (1 m3) test chamber and ULg wil perform building product emission tests in a “real size” (60 m3) chamber. VITO is specialized in analysis methods for dangerous substances. ULg has great expertise in the field of odour measurements. Also in the domain of microbial resistance all three partners have complementary expertise and equipment.
Contact Information
Website project: http://www.bbri.be/go/hemicpd
Coordinator
Marc Lor
Belgian Building Research Institute (BBRI)
Construction Chemistry Laboratory
Lozenberg 7
B-1932 Sint-Stevens-Woluwe
Tel: +32 (0)2 655 77 11
Fax:+32 (0)2 653 07 29
marc.lor@bbri.be
Promoters
Eddy Goelen
Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO)
Environmental Measurements
Boeretang 200
B-2400 Mol
Tel: +32 (0)14 33 69 62
Fax: +32 (0)14 33 69 88
eddy.goelen@vito.be
Jacques Nicolas
Université de Liège (ULg)
Unité “Surveillance de l’Environnement”
Place du 20 Août 7
B-4000 Liège
Tel: +32 (0)63 23 08 57
Fax: +32 (0)63 23 08 00
j.nicolas@ulg.ac.be
Follow-up Committee
Christine Buenen - Council of European Producers of Materials for Construction (CEPMC)
Dieter de Lathauwer - SPF Santé publique, Sécurité de la Chaîne alimentaire et Environnement – Service politique des produits
Paul Caluwaerts - European Organisation for Technical Approvals (EOTA)
Bernard Vandermarcke - WENK Sint-Lucas
Eric Winnepenninckx - BBRI-BUtgb
Bernard Wallyn - Vlaamse Huisvestingsmaatschappij (VHM)
Bart Bleys - BCCA-SECO
Georges Allo - SPF Economie, PME, Classes moyennes et Energie, Service Compétitivité
Stephane Faignet - Instituut voor de aanmoediging van Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technologie in Vlaanderen (IWT)
Since the project aims to integrate all different actors in the construction sector, the persons mentioned above were chosen for participation in the follow-up committee in order to have a representation as broad as possible.
Horizontal Evaluation Method for the Implementation of the Construction Products Directive (HEMICPD) : final report
Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2010 (SP2214)
[To download]
[To order]
State of the Art - Report version : annexe
Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2010 (SP2215)
[To download]
