Lionel Monfront¹, Nicolas Decousser²
1)  CERIB (Precast Concrete Industry Research Centre)
CS 10010, 28233 Epernon Cedex, France
e-mail: l.monfront@cerib.com
2)  CERIB (Precast Concrete Industry Research Centre)
CS 10010, 28233 Epernon Cedex, France
n.decousser@cerib.com

Keywords: EPD, LCA, Climate change, Energy, Sustainable Construction, Concrete masonry unit

Abstract. The new French Regulation has set the Reference Service Life of new buildings at 50 years to calculate their energy and environmental efficiency. In this way, Product and Construction Process stages on one hand and Use stage on the other hand are both roughly 50% of the total impact. The E+C- Label defines two threshold values for Energy consumption and for Carbon impact (GHG emissions); the latter covering the whole life cycle of the building is complemented by a subthreshold considering the only contribution Product and Construction Process stage including equipment.
The different studies launched by CERIB in coordination with the Cement and Concrete French Industry of collective housing buildings as well as single houses shows:

• For a similar energy efficiency of the thermal envelope, the type of construction (concrete structure, concrete masonry, clay masonry, wood structure …) impacts the global emission of greenhouse gas value of less than 10% ;
• No significative differences of the environmental impact calculated as greenhouse gas emissions at the building scale can be observed although the environmental impacts of the different type of concrete masonry units (dense and lightweight aggregates, composite) vary significantly;
• The possible use of concrete masonry to fulfil the requirements applicable to exemplary building either based on energy efficiency 0,80*Cep(RT2012) (typically 50 kWhep/m².year) or on environmental impact based on the more stringent Carbon level (C2) defined by the French Regulation.