CHICAGO — An environmental product declaration (EPD) for insulated metal panels (IMPs) is now available from the Metal Construction Association (MCA). This is the first of three different EPD documents to be released in 2013 by MCA, an organization of manufacturers and suppliers whose metal wall and roofing components are used in buildings throughout the world.

“With the recent approval of LEED v4, we expect to see more of the design community looking for environmental product declarations as part of the overall emphasis on transparency in the new rating system. The EPD for insulated metal panels is based on the cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of this product category and is a major step forward for the metal construction industry in reporting the environmental impact of the manufacturing of this product and assemblies using the product,” MCA Technical Director Scott Kriner said.

Insulated metal panels are rigid foam sandwiched between two sheets of coated metal. The panels are available in a variety of styles and sizes depending on application. Steel or aluminum panel facings create a vapor, air and moisture barrier and provide long-term thermal stability. The metal skins offer long-term durability and come in a multitude of colors and finishes. IMPs offer cost-competitive construction advantages and long-term high performance to help lower operating costs for building owners in any construction market.

Environmental product declarations provide LCA-based information and details about the products' environmental aspects and assist purchasers and users in making informed comparisons between products.

The industry IMP EPD contains valuable facts about product definition, building physics, the basic material and its origin, product manufacture and processing, in-use conditions, life cycle assessment results, and testing results and verifications. Environmental impacts were assessed throughout the product's lifecycle, including raw material extraction, transportation, manufacturing packaging, use and disposal at the end of a building's useful life.

Contents of the IMP EPD have been prepared by MCA technical staff and members of MCA's Insulated Metal Panels Council who are volunteers representing the leading manufacturers of IMPs. The product configurations in the EPD use ranges representative of all types of IMPs based on specific products from the primary producers that were used in the assessment and testing. PE International, Boston, performed the life cycle assessments in the IMP EPD. All content in the document has been reviewed by a UL Environment Review Panel and independently verified in accordance with ISO 14025 and ISO 14044.

To obtain a copy of the IMP EPD, call 847-375-4718, email mca@metalconstruction.orgor visit www.metalconstruction.org.