Research

Services

To meet the new Energy-Carbon requirements defined by the E+C- accreditation, which prefigures future regulations, the CSTB is guiding stakeholders in the development of their business activities. The CSTB is there to help them build the right strategy, develop an eco-design approach and characterize the environmental performance of their products, buildings and urban projects. Through national and international research programs and standardization programs, it also contributes to enhancing the scientific basis for Life Cycle Assessment in the construction industry.

Expertise

Providing support at the level of individual buildings

CSTB experts will help you shrink the carbon footprint and non-renewable energy consumption of your projects, in order to meet the requirements for positive-energy, low-carbon buildings.

  • Project owners: steering and upskilling project management to encompass these new missions, including carbon impact reduction, obtaining the new accreditations (E+C-, BBCA and Effinergie) and structure certifications such as HQE and others, and finding the right balance between performance and cost in this new context.
  • Project managers and architects: distinguishing themselves in the competition phase, calculating, understanding and optimizing the carbon impact of the project and controlling the overall carbon impact in public works contracts.
  • Contractors and manufacturers: maximizing their chances for success in calls for bids by presenting a convincing carbon strategy and finding the best “low-carbon” construction solutions (particularly for the structure).

Providing support at the level of materials and components

The CSTB provides industrial companies with customized advice so they can take into account the latest building requirements and create their low-carbon product strategy. Consulting service

In order to help you make your project a reality, the CSTB also:

  • Supports the eco-design of construction products: solutions to reduce environmental impact and preparation for environmental product declarations;
  • Characterization of the environmental performance of construction materials and products (Environmental Declarations).

Environmental Performance Laboratory

The CSTB is also committed to:

  • Developing methods for evaluating the environmental performance of buildings and urban spaces;
  • Setting up customized observatories of the environmental performance of buildings (for real estate companies, landlords and communities).

Designing environmental assessment tools

The CSTB also designs and develops:

  • Decision-support tools to understand the environmental aspects of projects, at the level of individual buildings and at the level of the city;
  • Simplified, customized tools that can be integrated into the stakeholders' everyday practices;
  • Business software modules in environmental assessments in connection with digital modelling;
  • Special tools – environmental and health data configuration management – supporting the development of products and sectors.

The CSTB also offers a range of training courses to boost environmental performance.

  • ELODIE, building and housing block LCA software, developed by the CSTB
  • SIMAPRO, LCA software

References