Towards Sustainable Construction
Quality Management at Plant
European Standards for the Construction Products

Towards Sustainable Construction

Increasingly, regulatory agencies, customers, end-users and the general public are taking an interest in their direct environments and the environment in general. Several trends emerge:

• The trend towards sustainable construction in all its aspects:
• Environmentally sound
• Length of use
• Ultimate recyclability
• Energy efficient
• No emissions
• Safe to use
• The trend towards a higher quality build;
• The trend to increasing use plasterboard and plaster-based products worldwide.

Quality Management at Plant

In general terms, emissions from the manufacturing processes of Gypsum products derive either from the Gypsum rocks that contribute directly to the processes or from the fuels that provide the energy for processing. Other than emissions from the burning of fuels, the only emission during calcination is harmless water vapour.

The burning of fuels used in Gypsum processing generates Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrous Oxides and Sulphur Dioxide. Although within required limits in Europe, these emissions can have adverse environmental effects. The Gypsum Industry is therefore working to minimise the emissions of these gases. This has involved many plants switching from oil to natural gas, resulting in lower emissions of these types of gases. Many older factories, especially calcining installations, are being entirely rebuilt or radically modernised, partly in order to deliver improved energy efficiency standards as well as decreasing emissions.  To this end, recovery of energy through use of air/air exchanges, optimisation of the drying process and the substitution of oil by gas are being developed.

European Standards for the Construction Products

European standards are drafted by CEN (Centre Européen de Normalisation) to become the national standards of the CEN member countries. CEN is in fact the technical arm of the European Commission.

CEN -as does ISO- produces voluntary standards. In some cases, the standards produced by CEN are a result of a mandate given by the European Commission. These standards answer to those mandates and ensure compliance with the so-called “essential requirements of a Directive” and its reference appears in the Official Journal as harmonised standards. They are complusory for the construction material producer.

The Construction Products Directive

In the construction field, those mandates are given in accordance with EC Directive 89/106/CEE on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provision of the Member States relating to construction products, also known as the Construction Products Directive (CPD).

Harmonised standards

diverge from “voluntary” European standards because they have an annex ZA which provide a harmonised mean to comply with the essential requirements mentioned in the Mandate and stemming from the Construction Products Directive (CPD).

Six basic requirements

In the CPD, there are six basic requirements:

• mechanical resistance and stability,
• fire protection
• security, hygiene, health and environment,
• security of use, noise protection,
• energy savings and thermal insulation.

When a product complies with the harmonised part of the standard (i.e. the annex ZA), the conformity of the product with the provisions of the CPD is guaranteed and thus allow for the application of CE-marking, which is compulsory for placing the product on the market.

CE-marking is the visible sign showing that the product conforms to the essential requirements of the Construction Products Directive

.EN 520: CE-markering op basis van de nieuwe Europese norm voor gipskartonplaten-nl.pdf

It indicates that the products can freely circulate, and then be sold, across Europe (the European Union and the European Free Trade Zone). CE marking for construction products does not imply however that these products meet building requirements, which are under national laws.

The CEN Technical Committee (TC) in charge of the draft of Gypsum products is CEN/TC 241. The scope of this TC is:

Prepare European standards for Gypsum plasters, Gypsum units, Gypsum based and ancillary products as well as for design and application of the products: definitions; performance; requirements; specifications; test methods.