SuPerMat: how digitalisation supports more sustainable material choices in construction projects
Sustainable construction today goes far beyond energy efficiency alone. The impact of materials is also playing an increasingly important role within architecture, engineering and construction projects. Think of CO₂ emissions, circularity, reuse, bio-based materials and life cycle assessment (LCA). But how can project teams quickly make the right material choices within complex projects?
At Sweco, SuPerMat helps project teams make more sustainable and better-informed decisions. The digital tool combines data, sustainability expertise and user-friendly analyses to provide faster insights into material choices.
What is SuPerMat?
SuPerMat stands for “Sustainability Performance of Materials”. It is a digital database that gathers insights from previous life cycle analyses of construction materials and building components. The tool brings together multiple sustainability parameters within one clear and structured environment.
Through SuPerMat, designers, architects, engineers and sustainability experts can compare materials based on:
- carbon footprint = Global Warming Potential (GWP)
- environmental footprint
- circularity and reversibility
- bio-based content and biogenic carbon storage
- material lifespan
- end-of-life scenarios
- environmental scores and sustainability performance
- material and technical properties such as U-value, density, thickness, albedo value, etc.
The tool helps teams make sustainable design choices faster without having to repeatedly perform complex LCA calculations.
Why sustainable material choices are becoming increasingly important
Within the construction sector, the focus is gradually shifting from operational energy performance towards the impact of materials. As buildings become more energy efficient, the share of embodied carbon within buildings continues to increase.
As a result, material data, life cycle analysis and circularity are becoming increasingly important within sustainable design and future regulations.
European sustainability directives and certification systems such as BREEAM, the EU Taxonomy and, more recently, the revised EPBD regulation are also increasing the focus on the environmental impact of construction materials.
Digitalisation and human expertise go hand in hand
Although digital tools are becoming increasingly powerful, human expertise remains essential within sustainable construction projects. SuPerMat supports project teams with data and benchmarking, but complex considerations still require interpretation by sustainability experts and multidisciplinary collaboration. It is precisely this combination of digitalisation, data analysis and engineering expertise that enables project teams to make more sustainable choices faster and in a better integrated way within projects.
Ine Verniers
Pieter Bieghs
