EPDs for Hollow Sections in the United States

What we looked at

This guide covers Hollow Sections in the United States, commonly called Hollow Structural Sections or HSS, including square, rectangular, and round structural tube as well as unfabricated pipe and tube where relevant. All figures below reflect currently valid product-specific EPDs.

The 2026 snapshot in one glance

There are 67 current EPDs for Hollow Sections in the last five years. They come from 11 manufacturers, supported by 4 Program Operators, using 4 distinct PCRs. The latest EPD we see is Unfabricated Low‑Embodied Carbon Steel Pipe and Tube by Bull Moose Tube issued Nov 27, 2024 using ISO 21930 with SCS Global Services, valid to Nov 26, 2029.

Manufacturer leaderboard and momentum

Nucor leads with 22 current EPDs. Atlas Tube follows with 14, then Bull Moose Tube with 8, and Searing Industries with 6. These four account for about three quarters of all current HSS declarations in the US, which tells buyers where competitive benchmarks are set. Several additional publishers are active at lower volumes, including Maruichi entities, Vest, and others.

Why it matters commercially. If a competitor has a product‑specific EPD and another does not, the latter often faces a carbon accounting penalty on projects where embodied‑carbon targets apply. That penalty can quietly push a product out of contention even when price is sharp.

Program Operators buyers actually see

UL carries the bulk of the market with 46 current HSS EPDs across 10 manufacturers. ASTM International hosts 12 EPDs across 1 manufacturer which signals a single‑publisher footprint. SCS Global Services hosts 8 EPDs across 1 manufacturer. SPHERA Sustainability Consulting appears with 1 EPD for 1 manufacturer. UL’s breadth suggests specifiers regularly encounter its format across competing HSS lines. Concentrated footprints at the other operators signal less cross‑manufacturer comparability in this category today.

The PCRs that shape comparability

Think of a PCR as the rulebook of Monopoly. Ignore it and the game falls apart. One PCR dominates here. Part B: Designated Steel Construction Products underpins 64 current EPDs with latest observed expiries running to Aug 26, 2029. Three additional rulebooks appear as niche paths. ISO 21930 for building and civil works shows up once including the recent Bull Moose LEC tube with an expiry on Nov 26, 2029. North American PCR for Designated Steel Construction Products shows once with a latest expiry of Apr 1, 2027. Part B: Commercial Steel Doors and Frames also appears once with a latest expiry of Aug 14, 2029. If you want apples‑to‑apples versus leading HSS competitors, Part B: Designated Steel Construction Products is the default lane right now.

Release tempo since 2021

The issuance pattern tells a story of ramp, pause, and surge.

Year	EPDs issued
2021	18
2022	20
2023	3
2024	26
2025	0

2024 saw the biggest wave. 2023 dipped. 2025 shows no recorded issues in this set which could reflect timing choices or publishing gaps rather than intent. If you timed new declarations for late 2024, your renewal window will cluster in late 2029.

Renewal risk calendar you can plan around

Upcoming expiries among current HSS EPDs are bunched which creates renewal traffic.

2026 has 18 expiries. Earliest Apr 1, 2026. Latest Nov 8, 2026.
2027 has 20 expiries. Earliest Feb 3, 2027. Latest Jul 1, 2027 including a single EPD under the North American steel PCR expiring Apr 1, 2027.
2028 has 3 expiries. All on Sep 1, 2028.
2029 has 26 expiries. Earliest Jul 15, 2029. Latest Aug 26, 2029, plus the ISO 21930 and steel doors items expiring Aug 14 and Nov 26, 2029.

If your products compete with those peaking in 2026 to 2027, a mid‑2026 release can capture spec attention while others are re‑issuing. Validity lengths do not win bids on their own. They do protect against last‑minute renewals colliding with sales cycles.

Consultants behind the scenes

Fifty of the 67 current HSS EPDs were produced with an external EPD consultant or service provider. That is roughly 75 percent. For most manufacturers this is the fastest route because the heavy lift is data wrangling across energy, scrap, coil, and yield losses. An EPD service provider like Parq can make data collection far less disruptive to plant and engineering teams while aligning PCR scope and Program Operator choice to your market reality.

Notably absent or adjacent players

Several large US tube brands show many EPDs yet not for structural HSS. Atkore’s active portfolio focuses on electrical conduit and mechanical tubing rather than structural Hollow Sections. Wheatland Tube also concentrates published EPDs on conduit products. EXLTUBE does not appear with current US HSS product EPDs in this snapshot. If these are your closest competitors locally, a single well‑scoped HSS EPD can be a real wedge in spec‑driven work.

Picking your lane in 2026

Start with the dominant PCR for comparability unless there is a clear reason to use an alternative scope. Map program operator preferences by your target specifiers and GCs. Decide if a Low‑Embodied Carbon option makes sense for your catalog. The Bull Moose LEC EPD on Nov 27, 2024 shows proof that unfabricated pipe and tube can be positioned that way without exotic process changes. The numbers is clear. If you are new to EPDs, pick one flagship product and get it to publish quickly so sales can stop working with pessimistic defaults.

Final word and how to dig deeper

This article relies on the global public registry most specifiers use. Publishing pipelines sometimes introduce a lag which means late 2025 releases may not all be reflected yet. If you want the full, up‑to‑date background dataset behind this article or to reality‑check which PCR and Program Operator fits your HSS roadmap, connect with me on LinkedIn and message me. I am happy to share the data, answer questions, and hop on a quick call to help you shortlist the best‑fit PCR and publishing route for free.