Environmental Transparency in Acoustic Insulation.
The Role of EPDs in AcoustiCork Underscreeds.
BlogThe growing importance of Environmental Product Declarations in construction
Sustainability has become a defining factor in modern construction. Architects, developers, and specifiers are increasingly required to quantify the environmental impact of the materials used in buildings. As a result, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have emerged as one of the most important tools for communicating verified environmental performance data for construction products.
EPDs are standardized environmental reports developed in accordance with international standards such as ISO 14025 and EN 15804, which define how environmental impacts should be calculated and communicated through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). These declarations provide transparent, third-party verified information about the environmental footprint of a product across its life cycle.
In addition to improving transparency, EPDs play a significant role in sustainable building certifications such as LEED, BREEAM, and other green building frameworks. By assisting professionals to compare materials using consistent methodologies, EPDs support informed decision-making and help reduce the environmental impact of buildings.
Within this context, Amorim Cork Solutions, through its AcoustiCork product line, has developed several acoustic underscreed solutions whose environmental performance is documented through EPDs registered with the International EPD® System.
AcoustiCork underscreeds: acoustic performance with quantified environmental impact
Acoustic comfort is a critical aspect of modern buildings, particularly in residential, hospitality, and mixed-use developments. Floor build-ups must limit the transmission of impact noise, such as footsteps or dropped objects, between levels.
AcoustiCork underscreeds are resilient acoustic layers installed between the structural slab and the screed. Their function is to reduce the propagation of impact sound through the building structure while also contributing to improvements in airborne sound insulation and thermal performance.
Once installed, these materials remain protected within the floor system and do not require maintenance throughout the building’s service life. The EPD studies assume a reference service life of 50 years, consistent with the expected life cycle of the building itself, since once installed the product is protected by other elements and does not require maintenance.
Product composition and circular material integration
AcoustiCork underscreeds are manufactured using a combination of natural cork and circular economy materials sourced from industrial waste streams, including recycled rubber granules (post-consumer waste) and polyurethane or EVA foams derived from pre-consumer industrial processes. These materials are combined through a production process involving granulation, component mixing, pressing, agglomeration, stabilization, and finishing operations.
The combination of cork with different polymer-based materials allows AcoustiCork underscreeds to deliver a range of acoustic and functional performances tailored to specific building requirements. Cork contributes with natural resilience and elastic recovery, helping absorb impact energy and improve impact sound insulation. When combined with recycled rubber or polyurethane foams, the resulting composite structure enhances vibration damping and structural stability within the floor assembly.
Cork’s contribution to carbon footprint
One of the key environmental advantages of AcoustiCork underscreeds is the incorporation of natural cork granules, a renewable raw material that stores atmospheric carbon throughout the growth of the cork oak tree. Unlike fully synthetic acoustic materials, cork contains biogenic carbon naturally captured from the atmosphere and retained within the product during its service life.
This carbon storage is reflected in the products’ Life Cycle Assessment results, where cork contributes to reducing the overall Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the system. In practice, the presence of cork partially offsets part of the emissions associated with other raw materials and manufacturing processes.
The effect becomes increasingly relevant in solutions with higher cork incorporation. According to the Environmental Product Declarations, the cork content contributes to a reduction in GWP of approximately:
- -0.18 kg CO₂ eq./m² in Underscreed U85 [4/2];
- -0.32 kg CO₂ eq./m² in Underscreed U36 [6/3];
- -0.41 kg CO₂ eq./m² in Underscreed U36 [8/4];
- -0.55 kg CO₂ eq./m² in Underscreed U38 [12/6];
- -0.76 kg CO₂ eq./m² in Underscreed U38 [17/8].
Disclaimer: data found in Environmental Product Declaration of Resilient acoustic underscreeds.