Product data and building assessment – flow of information

The design, realisation and operation of buildings should be based on the principles of sustainable development, and consequently on the goal to conserve natural resources as a critical aspect of it. To this end, improving the resource efficiency in all building-related activities – from design to end-of-life – is necessary. Yet, such an effort cannot be fully successful if not based on comprehensive information. On the architects' side, there is a need for information on construction products to be fed into the assessment of building design variants. The exchange of information between product and building level is a topic dealt with in European (CEN TC 350) and International (ISO TC59 SC17) standardization. However, the demand on product information goes beyond the content of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). It is therefore necessary to discuss what are the additional needs for product information and how to provide this information to be practical for a building assessment. Finally, it is necessary to discuss how buildings should be documented along their life cycle to provide useful information for third parties. Third parties are – among others - valuation professionals, facility managers or demolition/dismantling companies. An approach to building files/building information packs will be presented, where information on the physical composition of the building and its material flows in the life cycle (material inventory) becomes an integral part. With regard to standardization, how to determine and present a recycling potential of a building will be discussed. Current research projects in Germany will inform the discussion.