The new Framework sets to boost built environment circularity and unlock barriers for material reuse.

A major step forward in helping the industry tackle its carbon reduction commitments, the Materials Passports Framework presents the first standardised approach to documenting and managing materials throughout their lifecycle. The Framework provides a roadmap to create a comprehensive database of information, containing the identity, specifications and performance data for materials, products and building elements. Materials Passports play a pioneering role in advancing sustainability within the construction industry. The data they contain will facilitate informed decision making on efficient material reuse while resolving the ambiguity around specification, performance and warranties of used materials.

Through this Framework, it is envisioned the Materials Passports Protocol becomes an industry standard, driving collaboration and sustainability. Spearheaded by our Building Services team Waterman, with technical contributions from CIRCuIT project partners BRE, the Framework aligns with the forthcoming Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements under the proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) in the European Union’s European Green Deal.

On 100 Fetter Lane (Edenica), material passports are being created for: the substructure, including piles, retaining walls and basement floor slab; steel frame; precast concrete floor planks; in situ concrete topping to the planks; external precast concrete panels; and the raised access floor. The digital passports for each element contains details of its geometry and location in the building, along with information on all the materials used in its formation.

The knowledge gained from 100 Fetter Lane (Edenica) will be used to create a framework for producing and reporting materials passports across the UK, in collaboration with the EU circularity project CIRCuIT to standardise the passports, contents and process.

This pioneering initiative has attracted a wide range of trade press coverage including the New Civil Engineer, Infrastructure Intelligence and the CIBSE Journal.