Cradle‑to‑Practical Completion (C2PC)

Cradle-to-Practical Completion (C2PC) is an extended Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) system boundary specific to the construction sector. It covers all stages from raw material extraction (cradle) to practical completion of the project—that is, when the building is ready for occupation but has not yet entered operation.

It includes the following EN 15804 modules:

• A1–A3 · Production: raw materials, internal transport, and manufacturing.
• A4 · Transport to the construction site.
• A5 · Construction processes: machinery energy, cutting, packaging, and waste.
• B8 · Fixed equipment installed before use: HVAC, built-in lighting, lifts, hospital instrumentation.

It does not cover operational energy and use (B1–B7) or end of life (C1–C4), but it provides the most comprehensive view of embodied carbon prior to commissioning—crucial for hospitals, laboratories, data centres, and highly serviced buildings.

Regulatory and market rationale

• United Kingdom · RIBA 2025: targets of 650 kg CO₂e/m² C2PC for offices and 720 kg CO₂e/m² for hospitals.
• Sweden – Klimatdeklaration 2025: covers A1–A5 and B8 for residential buildings over 1,000 m².
• EU Green Taxonomy: sustainable finance conditional on < 550 kg CO₂e/m² C2PC in tertiary buildings.
• Italian public procurement (CAM Edifici 2022): requires verified C2PC LCA in tenders over €5M.

Step-by-step methodology

• Functional unit: 1 m² of usable floor area over 60 years or 1 hospital bed.
• Material inventory (A1–A3): use Type III EPDs and ecoinvent 3.9 for inputs without EPDs.
• Logistics (A4): real distances and modes—HBEFA 4.2 for trucks, ecoinvent for ship/rail.
• Construction (A5): machinery fuel, crane electricity, curing water, waste ↔ ILCD 2018.
• Fixed equipment (B8): HVAC, switchboards, IT racks—including their own A1–A3.
• Impact assessment: GWP100 (IPCC AR6), AWARE, ADP-minerals, CED.
• Critical review: independent expert and consistency with EN 15804 +A2 PCR.
• Communication: LCA report plus executive summary for tendering or green finance.

Key indicators and benchmarking

• C2PC GWP: kg CO₂e/m².
• B8 share: % of total GWP attributable to fixed equipment (typically 15–25%).
• Recovered A5 waste: kg/m² recycled vs disposed.
• C2PC water footprint: m³ eq AWARE/m².

Reduction strategies

• Low-carbon materials: H-DRI steel, LC3 and geopolymer concretes.
• “Kit-of-parts” strategy: volumetric prefabrication reducing A5 waste by 70%.
• Net-Zero construction: electric cranes, HVO generators, temporary renewables.
• Modular equipment: plug-and-play HVAC with interchangeability; 25% less steel.
• 90/10 waste plan: 90% of A5 waste recovered, <10% to landfill.

Case study: University hospital (2025)

• Initial design: post-tensioned concrete structure + rolled steel → 1,080 kg CO₂e/m² C2PC.
• Improvements:
  • LC3 concrete (35% clinker substitution) → –160 kg.
  • Hybrid timber–H-DRI steel structure → –140 kg.
  • Prefabricated bathroom-kitchen units → –60 kg and –230 kg waste.
  • Modular HVAC with 70% recycled plastic → –90 kg.
• Result: 610 kg CO₂e/m² (–44%); EIB green financing and EU Taxonomy compliance.

Monitoring and tools

• BIM-LCA: One Click LCA, TallyCAT, eToolLCD.
• Construction digital twin with IoT: real-time tracking of machinery, waste, and energy.
• EPD APIs: automatic import of certified material and equipment data.
• Logistics blockchain: verification of routes and real emission factors in A4.

Links to other scopes

• Cradle-to-Site: C2PC adds B8 to the C2S boundary.
• Cradle-to-Gate: subset A1–A3, useful for material procurement.
• Whole-Life Carbon (WLC): C2PC + use (B1–B7) + end of life (C1–C4) + module D benefits.

Trends 2025–2035

• Hourly dynamic LCA: on-site and prefabrication electricity mix based on real renewable generation.
• BIM material passports: C2PC data integrated into the building Digital Product Passport.
• Green EPC contracts: variable payment per kg CO₂e below the C2PC threshold.
• Industrial CCfDs: funding the cost gap of H-DRI steel by guaranteeing a carbon price.

Cradle-to-Practical Completion is the key tool for controlling and reducing embodied carbon in equipment-intensive buildings before use. Implementing low-carbon strategies across materials, logistics, and construction can cut C2PC emissions by up to 45%, meet emerging European regulations, and secure access to green finance.