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Construction Industry: Testing

Answer

I am not aware of a department or agency responsible for testing new sustainable products used in construction and other industries for longevity. Many methods and sets of criteria for assessing and comparing the sustainability of products are used by government, businesses and others. These criteria vary depending on the product and the assessment being made, and there is no generic requirement for a product to have a guaranteed minimum lifetime. Whilst a requirement for an extended product lifetime has the potential to reduce the use of resources in production and the generation of waste, extending product longevity would not necessarily lead to an overall benefit. There would be trade-offs between resource savings from longer life-spans and higher standards (such as greater energy efficiency, improved function, or higher safety standards) associated with newer products. Regulation 7 of the England and Wales Building Regulations covers materials and workmanship, and requires that relevant building works must be carried out with proper materials in a workmanlike manner. Neither the regulation nor the associated approved document guidance set out any specific criteria relating to guaranteed levels of longevity. The code for sustainable homes, which measures the sustainability of a new home against categories of sustainable design, includes a materials category. Points are awarded for products with lower life cycle (from manufacture to disposal) environmental impact, based on ratings from the Building Research Establishment green guide to specification for specific products or types of construction. One element of the methodology in the green guide is an estimated replacement interval for the product/system being assessed.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

5570; 705 c58WA

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Construction Products Standards Sustainable development Testing

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk