Contech Engineered Solutions: EPDs and the spec game
Contech is a diversified infrastructure player, not a pure pipe shop. They sell stormwater systems, pipes, modular bridges, retaining walls and erosion control. That breadth wins bids, yet it also raises a simple question for project teams chasing embodied‑carbon goals. Where are the EPDs and how do they stack up against competitors that already publish them?
Who Contech is and where they play
Contech Engineered Solutions sits in civil infrastructure with five core families: Pipe, Stormwater Management, Bridges and Structures, Retaining Walls, and Erosion Control. Their site spans corrugated steel and aluminum, PVC and SRPE pipes, hydrodynamic separators and filters, modular plate and precast arches, plus MSE and wire walls. It is a broad, civil‑first portfolio built for DOTs, municipalities, and large private sites.
How many product ranges and SKUs
Across those families Contech markets many named systems and configurations, easily in the hundreds of SKUs when diameters, coatings, media types, spans and accessories are counted. That range is a commercial asset because specifiers can source a full drainage and crossing package from one vendor. It also means more documentation to keep current when owners ask for EPDs at submittal.
EPD coverage today at a glance
We did not find product‑specific EPDs for Contech products in major public EPD directories as of December 24, 2025. Contech’s stormwater treatment devices highlight third‑party performance verifications such as ISO 14034 ETV for StormFilter and Canadian ETV for the CDS separator, which validate pollutant removal but are not EPDs focused on embodied carbon (Businesswire, 2020) (PR Newswire, 2017).
Category by category: where EPDs could land fast
Pipes. The Uni‑Bell PVC Pipe Association maintains a current industry‑wide EPD for PVC water and sewer pipe, verified by NSF and valid through 2028. Industry‑wide EPDs can count on many projects when the manufacturer is a recognized participant, but they are still sector averages, not plant‑specific disclosures (NSF, 2023). For municipal HDPE or SRPE, we do not see a single North American industry‑wide EPD that spans the whole market. Product‑specific pipe EPDs from individual producers are more common.
Bridges and precast structures. Precast culverts, boxes and concrete pipe often carry product‑ and plant‑level EPDs from large precasters. Oldcastle Infrastructure lists multiple EPDs under ASTM’s program that teams can download and use in bids, including culvert and concrete pipe families (ASTM, 2025). This is the slot Contech’s precast and structural solutions would compete in on many projects.
Stormwater treatment. Manufactured treatment devices rarely publish EPDs today. Verification regimes like ETV, TAPE or state approvals are the norm, which demonstrate treatment performance rather than embodied impacts. Contech’s StormFilter and CDS are verified under those pathways, again valuable for performance claims, not for LEED v5 carbon accounting (Businesswire, 2020) (PR Newswire, 2017).
Retaining walls and hardscape. Segmental retaining walls and concrete masonry frequently come with EPDs from major brands and plants. Buyers compare mixes and plants by GWP, so plant‑specific data matters. ASTM and NSF operator directories show active masonry and dry‑mix EPDs that projects use for credits and procurement screens in 2024 and 2025 (ASTM, 2025).
Why this matters more in 2025
LEED v5 moved embodied carbon to center stage and continues to reward third‑party verified Type III EPDs. Owners and GCs are now tallying cradle‑to‑gate GWP for structure, enclosure and site materials as part of a standard playbook, which shifts attention to manufacturers who publish current declarations (USGBC, 2025). In competitive bid rooms, no EPD often means conservative assumptions and lower “specability,” especially when a like‑for‑like product from a competitor has a declaration on file.
A likely best‑seller gap that costs specs
DuroMaxx SRPE and CMP detention systems show up frequently in large detention and conveyance packages. If a project team needs a detention system or large culvert with an EPD for documentation, they can reach for precast culvert or pipe systems from a competitor that posts ASTM‑registered EPDs, then default to that family to keep the MR documentation simple (ASTM, 2025). That is how a single missing PDF can quietly tilt a spec before price is even discussed.
Who Contech often meets in the lane
Different job types pull different rivals. In plastic and corrugated drainage, Advanced Drainage Systems is the obvious comparator. In precast boxes and pipe, Oldcastle Infrastructure is a frequent alternate with multiple plant EPDs in circulation (ASTM, 2025). In stormwater treatment, Hydro International and Oldcastle’s treatment lines show up. In walls and hard armor, Oldcastle APG and other masonry producers with block and SRW EPDs are common. On mixed‑scope civil sites, the bidder with more current EPDs often becomes the low‑friction choice for specifers even when performance is similar.
Fast path to close the EPD gap
Start with the highest velocity lines by revenue and by specification frequency. For pipe, publish product‑specific EPDs for top diameters and coatings at representative plants. For precast structures, roll out plant‑specific EPDs for the standard box and culvert mixes used most often. Keep stormwater treatment on the ETV track for performance, but consider scoping a materials‑only cradle‑to‑gate EPD for vaults and cartridges to support whole‑project carbon accounting. If PVC is central, leverage the Uni‑Bell industry‑wide EPD as a baseline while a specific EPD is prepared (NSF, 2023).
Commercial takeaway
EPDs are now table stakes on many public and private jobs. Publishing a small, targeted set removes the conservative padding that gets added in whole‑building LCAs and keeps Contech’s systems in play on LEED v5 projects without extra meetings, workarounds, or time‑burn. The cost of a few high‑impact EPDs is routinely eclipsed by one mid‑sized win. Get the paperwork out of the way so your engineering and field teams can win on performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Contech publish product-specific EPDs for its major product lines as of December 2025?
We did not find Contech product‑specific EPDs in major public directories as of December 24, 2025. Their stormwater devices emphasize ISO 14034 and Canadian ETV verifications, which validate performance, not embodied carbon disclosure (Businesswire, 2020) (PR Newswire, 2017).
Is there an industry-wide EPD Contech could reference for PVC municipal pipe while preparing product-specific EPDs?
Yes. The Uni‑Bell PVC Pipe Association maintains a current industry‑wide EPD for PVC water and sewer pipe verified by NSF and valid through 2028. Projects often accept it when the manufacturer is recognized as a participant (NSF, 2023).
Which competitors commonly show up with EPDs in Contech’s categories?
Oldcastle Infrastructure publishes multiple precast culvert and concrete pipe EPDs with ASTM as program operator, and masonry lines under ASTM and NSF programs. Those declarations are routinely used on submittals in 2024 and 2025 (ASTM, 2025).
How does LEED v5 change the urgency for EPDs?
LEED v5 keeps third‑party verified Type III EPDs in the Materials pathway and elevates embodied carbon accounting. Teams need transparent GWP data for major materials, which favors products with current, verified EPDs (USGBC, 2025).
About the Author
Eric works at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and business strategy, helping manufacturers navigate the evolving landscape of EPDs and LCAs. Having spoken with hundreds of teams across North America, brings a deep understanding of what drives ROI, what regulators are asking for, and how companies can stay ahead with smart, scalable approaches to environmental reporting.
