In 2008, NPCA partnered with PCI and CPCI to fund the creation of a life cycle assessment. The report was completed and released in 2010. This LCA was completed by Morrison Hershfield and covers four main types of precast concrete underground products: manhole, septic tank, utility structure and pipe.
A life cycle assessment provides a means of evaluating the environmental impacts of a product over its full life cycle. It spans from the acquisition of raw materials product to manufacturing to transportation to installation to use and maintenance and finally to disposal or recycling. This is a vital tool for a green building industry that is progressing towards transparency. LCA’s are also needed to create environmental product declarations.
