PCRs for Metal Profiles and Sheets

PCRs, in plain English

A Product Category Rule is the rulebook that tells everyone how to do the math and tell the story for an EPD. Think Monopoly. If the table uses different rules, you cannot compare scores. Metals are no different.

Start from the core rules

• Europe works to EN 15804+A2 through a program operator (for example EPD International or IBU).
• North America relies on a Part A core PCR from operators like Smart EPD, ASTM, UL or SCS, with product‑specific add‑ons where needed.

Pick the core first. It fixes the impact methods, life‑cycle modules, and what must be disclosed.

Then match the right Part B

For metal profiles and sheet‑type products, several well‑used Part B rule sets exist. Common fits include:

• Thin walled profiles and profiled panels of metal (used for roof, wall and liner sheets). Seen at IBU and EPD Hub.
• Aluminium roofing and cladding systems (standing seam and cassette families). Published at IBU and others.
• Metal ceilings and interior wall panel systems (tiles, baffles, grids). Available via ASTM, IBU, and Smart EPD ecosystems.
• Double skin metal‑faced sandwich panels (mineral wool or PIR cores). Found at EPD Hub and IBU.
• Structural steels (hot‑rolled sections, plate, HSS) and reinforcing steel (rebar, mesh). Offered via Smart EPD, IBU, SCS and UL.

If your product is a coated sheet, cassette, deck, liner tray or a cold‑formed profile, “Thin walled profiles and profiled panels of metal” is usually the fastest match. If it is a composite panel, use the sandwich‑panel Part B instead. If it is a beam, joist, or hollow section, use structural‑steel Product Category Rules rather than sheet‑goods rules.

No exact Part B match

It happens. When a product does not slot neatly into a metal‑specific Part B, use the generic construction‑products PCR under the same operator (for Europe, EN 15804+A2 Construction products, for North America, the operator’s Part A). That lets you publish now and migrate to a narrower Part B later at renewal.

Publish where you sell

Program operator choice is not cosmetic. Specifiers often expect certain logos by market. Examples seen in the field:

• EPD International and IBU for EU building products.
• Smart EPD, UL, ASTM and SCS for the US and Canada. Work backwards from bid lists and preferred databases so your EPD lands where buyers actually look.

Scope and declared unit pitfalls to avoid

• Profiles are often declared per kilogram. Sheet and panel products are often declared per square meter at a defined thickness. Choose the unit your competitors use to stay comparable.
• Metals rarely stop at A1–A3. Most buyers expect at least transport and installation (A4–A5) and end‑of‑life scenarios. Include realistic scrap recovery and recycling credits.
• Coatings matter. State coating mass, chemistry and line yield for galvanize, Magnelis, Al‑Zn, or paint. Panels need core density and adhesive details.

Watch validity windows

PCRs have expiry dates and are periodically revised. Plan drafts and critical reviews so your EPD is verified before the window closes, or you can end up re‑working datasets midstream. This is the single quiet killer of timelines.

Data checklist for metals that speeds verification

• Mill route and energy (EAF or BF‑BOF), electricity mix, on‑site fuels.
• Scrap in and scrap out (internal and purchased), yield losses by step.
• Alloying content ranges and coating weights.
• Line speeds and cure temps for coating or lamination.
• Packaging and typical offcuts at installation for profiles or sheets.
• End‑of‑life pathways with realistic recycling rates by region. Have these at your fingertips and third‑party review moves quickly.

Competitive alignment is strategic, not cosmetic

When options exist, align your PCR choice to the one your nearest competitor used. That keeps declared units, modules, and assumptions comparable so your sales team can show like‑for‑like benchmarking instead of footnotes.

North America nuances in a nutshell

Smart EPD’s Part A plus steel‑specific or cladding‑specific Part Bs cover most metal profiles and sheets in the US. ASTM publishes metal ceiling and suspension system rules many specifiers recognize. UL and SCS host numerous steel and panel EPDs that teams reference in submittals. Pick the path your customers already accept rather than blazing a new one late in design.

What a strong LCA partner actually does for you

Great partners do more than model. They map the product to the right PCR on day one, confirm operator fit by market, run a competitor scan, and then handle the heavy data lift across plants and suppliers. That white‑glove wrangling is why timelines shrink and internal teams stay on core work. Others leave the data chase to you, which is why projects stall. We’ve seen sales momentum die because a team waited for a coating line’s gas data that no one owned, which is avoidable with tight project management.

A quick decision tree you can use today

• Is it a beam, column, joist, HSS or plate used structurally. Use structural‑steel PCR.
• Is it rebar or mesh. Use reinforcing‑steel PCR.
• Is it a profiled sheet, deck, liner tray, cassette. Use thin‑walled profiles and profiled panels PCR.
• Is it a metal ceiling tile, baffle or grid. Use metal ceilings PCR.
• Is it a double‑skin insulated metal panel. Use sandwich‑panel PCR.
• Edge case. Use the generic construction‑products PCR now and switch later.

The through‑line

Choose the right rulebook by product function, target market, and operator. Confirm the declared unit your peers use. Lock the PCR validity dates into your project plan. With that set, data collection becomes a process, not a headache, and your EPD for metal profiles or sheets ships faster. It’s definately the difference between chasing paperwork and winning specs.