Doka: formwork leader, EPD coverage still thin

What Doka makes and where they play

Doka is best known for modular formwork systems for walls, slabs, columns, cores, bridge decks, tunnels, plus shoring and site logistics services. Since 2023, it also sells industrial scaffolding through the full acquisition of AT‑PAC, bringing ringlock access systems under the same roof (Doka press, 2023). citeturn5search1

Pure play in temporary works, now with scaffolding reach

Most of Doka’s portfolio serves temporary works rather than permanently installed materials. That matters for EPD strategy because many procurement rules and LEED v5‑oriented specs prioritize product‑specific EPDs for items that stay in the building. Temporary works are often out of scope, yet owners and EPCs increasingly ask suppliers for consistent environmental documentation across their supply chain.

Scale of the catalog

Doka’s range covers multiple product categories. Think wall and slab formwork families like panelized systems, handset aluminum, and tableforms, climbing and self‑climbing rigs, heavy‑duty shoring towers, aluminum and steel props, and ringlock scaffolding. The number of individual components easily runs into the hundreds, likely into the low thousands once variants and lengths are counted. That breadth makes portfolio‑level planning essential.

EPD coverage today

We could not find current, product‑specific EPDs for Doka’s mainstream formwork or scaffolding systems across major public operator registries as of December 20, 2025. There may be local exceptions, but visibility is limited. What is visible is Doka’s Product Carbon Footprint rollout covering about 6,000 products, which is helpful for internal benchmarking and customer conversations, yet it is not a third‑party verified EPD (Doka press, 2022). citeturn1search6

Why that gap can cost specs

On projects that require product‑specific EPDs, a system without one often triggers conservative default values in whole‑building carbon accounting. That penalty can push buyers toward alternatives that come with EPDs ready to upload, even when the system performance is comparable. In other words, without EPDs teams risk competing on price alone, or waiting while a declaration is created. That delay can be the difference between being shortlisted or sidelined.

Where competitors show up on the same bid list

Formwork and scaffolding selection often pits Doka against PERI, MEVA, ULMA, and Layher for access. All offer broad system catalogs and global logistics. We did not see a wave of system‑level scaffolding or formwork EPDs from those brands either, which means the spec advantage today can come from components in the system where EPDs already exist, such as formwork plywood faces published under EPD International. For example, a formwork‑dedicated plywood EPD published in 2025 is valid through 2030 (EPD International, 2025). citeturn7search0

Practical play: cover the components first

When full system EPDs feel complex, start with high‑volume components that map to clear PCRs. Examples include coated birch formwork plywood and similar panels that already have live declarations with EN 15804 A2 coverage and long validity windows, which slot neatly into submittals and digital takeoffs (EPD International, 2025). This lets sales deflect the default‑value penalty quickly while a plan for more complex assemblies is built. citeturn7search9

A note on PCFs vs EPDs

Doka’s PCF data is a strong signal that the product data plumbing exists. PCFs quantify cradle‑to‑gate impacts using LCA methods, yet buyers and rating systems typically ask for third‑party verified EPDs aligned to a recognized program operator and the right PCR. That is the bridge to cross next so project teams can drop declarations straight into model‑based carbon tools without custom mapping or extra reviewer questions.

Sustainability resources worth bookmarking

Doka maintains a sustainability section that highlights ISO 14001 and responsible wood sourcing. It is a useful context page for environmental claims and can underpin early customer conversations while EPDs come online (Doka sustainability). citeturn0search4

What to prioritize if you are Doka‑like

Focus first on the components most likely to be requested by specifiers and most reused across bids. Pick PCRs that competitors already publish under, keep verification aligned to operators familiar to your key markets, and plan renewals to avoid last‑minute scrambles. Definately line up data collection so one reference year can support multiple declarations across product families.

Competitive lens for common project types

In high‑rise cores and healthcare shells, panelized wall systems face like‑for‑like competition from PERI and MEVA. In industrial plants and energy, scaffolding access packages routinely put Doka ringlock up against Layher and PERI UP. If even one package item in a competitor quote includes a valid EPD, that can tilt procurement toward them when owner policies prefer declarations. The fastest counter is to publish EPDs for the repeaters that appear on every BOM.

The thread to pull next

Doka already did the hard part by calculating PCFs at scale. Turning those datasets into verified, program‑published EPDs for the top sellers would remove a common hurdle in carbon‑aware tenders. The ROI shows up in fewer substitution risks and smoother approvals when designers and contractors are scoring LEED v5‑aligned goals.