ABT Drains: product range and EPD readiness
ABT Inc. makes the trench drains many civil, site and industrial projects rely on. The catalog is deep and application‑specific, yet their environmental paperwork appears lighter than the product lineup. If projects prefer or require Environmental Product Declarations, that gap can quietly decide who gets specified.
What ABT sells, at a glance
ABT is a US manufacturer focused on surface and stormwater management. The core portfolio spans precast polymer‑concrete trench drain channels, cast‑in‑place forming systems, water treatment and filtration units, and modular stormwater storage built around Permavoid components.
Across these families, the range looks broad: likely dozens of channel profiles and grates, plus many accessories, easily adding up to hundreds when variants and load classes are counted. That variety covers commercial hardscape, transportation, and heavy‑duty industrial uses.
EPD coverage today
As of December 25, 2025, we could not find published, product‑specific EPDs for ABT’s trench drain or filtration lines on their site or in major public registries commonly used by specifiers. That is not a knock on product quality, just the current state of documentation many owners now expect.
A likely bestseller without an EPD
PolyDrain, ABT’s flagship pre‑sloped polymer‑concrete trench drain, looks like a top‑mover in site and industrial work. Competitors in the same material class already show EPDs for polymer‑concrete drainage channels, for example ULMA’s declaration registered in the International EPD System and valid until December 5, 2027 (EPD International, 2025) (EPD International, 2025). On projects where owners or ESG policies prefer verified EPDs, that single PDF can be the tie‑breaker.
Why this matters commercially
On many public and private jobs, design teams must account for embodied carbon and documentation quality. Without a product‑specific EPD, engineers often have to model with conservative defaults, which can nudge comparable products with verified EPDs ahead in submittals. That means more substitutions, fewer shortlists, and avoidable pricing pressure when competing head‑to‑head.
Where ABT competes most
In trench drains and linear surface drainage, ABT regularly bumps into ACO, ULMA, MEA Group, Zurn, NDS, and Watts, depending on application. Some of these rivals already publish EPDs for similar drainage categories in Europe or select markets, which is visible to multinational owners and global design firms.
Fastest path to an EPD for trench drains
Start by aligning on the most common rulebook. For polymer‑concrete channels, Europe’s published EPDs typically reference the EN 15804 A2 "Construction products" PCR family, which is a solid blueprint for data requirements and declared modules, even if the chosen operator sits in North America (EPD International, 2025) (EPD International, 2025).
Plan the timeline around verification. IBU publicly notes current third‑party verification queues trending near six months, which makes front‑loaded data collection and reviewer‑ready documentation essential to hit bid windows (IBU, 2025) (IBU, 2025). Smooth internal data pulls on electricity mixes, resin and aggregate sourcing, yield, waste, and packaging will save weeks.
What to cover first
If prioritization is needed, begin with the highest‑volume polymer‑concrete channels and their common grate pairings. Follow with cast‑in‑place forming systems if they are specified frequently by the same customers. Water treatment inserts and first‑flush devices can be second wave items once the flagship SKUs are published.
Sustainability signals to build on
ABT highlights on‑site solar powering its manufacturing and offices, which is a credible story to reflect in the EPD inventory if metered accurately for the reference year. Teams can surface that benefit inside A1 to A3 when the electricity mix is documented. See their live readout on the Solar Power Dashboard, a nice touch for customers doing enviromental due diligence.
The spec win, summarized
ABT is a pure‑play drainage specialist with breadth that fits healthcare, aviation, food processing, and public realm work. EPDs for the leading trench drain lines would reduce substitution risk and let the products compete on performance and lead time, not paperwork. The lift to create one good, reviewer‑tight EPD is meaningful, yet the revenue unlocked by staying in spec on even a single mid‑sized program can outweigh the effort, alot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ABT Drains currently publish product-specific EPDs for trench drains?
We did not find published ABT EPDs on December 25, 2025 in major public registries or on their site. That can change quickly, so teams should recheck near bid time.
Which PCRs do polymer-concrete trench drain EPDs commonly use?
Recent European declarations use EN 15804 A2 within the International EPD System’s Construction products PCR family, which is a practical template even for North American projects (EPD International, 2025).
How long should we budget for third-party verification?
IBU indicates verification queues of about six months in 2025, so front‑loading data collection is wise (IBU, 2025).
Who are ABT’s typical competitors in trench drainage?
ACO, ULMA, MEA Group, Zurn, NDS, and Watts appear frequently, with availability varying by region and application.
About the Author
With a passion for sustainability and a love for complex data, Toby helps manufacturers efficiently collect data from across their organization and get their EPDs done right. He’s especially interested in how AI can support human expertise, helping R&D and factory teams work faster, smarter, and with less friction.
