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Process Data set: Glulam timber from Pölkky Oy (en) en

Key Data Set Information
Location FI
Geographical representativeness description FI
Reference year 2025
Name
Glulam timber from Pölkky Oy
Use advice for data set This EPD covers life cycle stages for glulam timber from cradle to gate with options, modules C1-C4, and module D. The product phase, transportation to the building site and installation A1-A5 are included as well as the deconstruction, transportation to waste processing and the waste processing C1- C4. Also, the module D, information beyond construction works life cycle, is in the scope.
Technical purpose of product or process The declaration is made for average glulam timber manufactured at Pölkky Oy Kuusamo’s production site. Glulam timber is made of responsibly sourced pine (Pinus sylvestris) and spruce (Picea abies). Log procurement and the manufacturing processes at Pölkky Oy are FSC® and PEFC certified.1 Glulam timber is manufactured by gluing wood lamellas together with adhesive. Dimensions and lengths of the products can vary a lot. Glue laminated timber is used in construction for beams, columns, and arches, offering strength, durability, and design flexibility in structural applications. Moisture content for glulam timber products varies between 8–15 % depending on the product. Technical properties of Pölkky Oy’s glulam timber presented in the part 2.3. The process including the whole life cycle of the glulam timber is shown in the figure 1. Softwood logs are cut down in the forest, transported to the roadside with a forest tractor, and then taken to the sawmill by log trucks. Pölkky Oy’s sawmills are equipped with log sorters to receive and sort the logs, saw linesto processthem according to orders, kilns, and a heat plant that utilizesthe by-productsfrom the mill. Electricity is sourced from the grid. Fuel for the machinery represents a significant portion of the fossil energy consumption at the sites. The glulam timber is made from the sawn timber produced at Pölkky Oy’s production sites. In the glulam production line, the timber is planed and glued together. Glulam line has also a separate line for packaging the finished products. Sawn timber used in the process is produced at Pölkky Oy’s own production facilities and it is modelled by Pölkky Oy’s EPD’s for sawn timber. Moisture content for glulam timber varies between 8–15 % The average density of glulam timber in the model is 470 kg/m³.
General comment on data set Allocation rules are used according to the ISO14044:2006. Allocation was avoided when possible and when necessary, allocation is made based on physical shares and avoiding double calculations. Allocation was needed to evaluate the share of energy used to produce sawn timber, planed timber and glulam timber at Kuusamo’s site. Sawn timber and glulam production generates by-products, such as sawn dust, chips, bark and shavings. In the model it was estimated that from 1 m3 of logs, approximately half converts to sawn timber and remaining to by-products. From the produced sawn timber, a small production loss is estimated in the glulam line due to planing and cutting the sawn timber in the process. The environmental impacts have been allocated in the model to the products based on how they physically relate to them. For example, fresh chips, bark, and fresh sawdust produced in the sawing process are not assigned heat production burdens, as they leave the process before drying process. The burden from electricity consumption again is also allocated to the by-products because they are produced on the same sawing line as the timber, which consumes the most electricity at the site. Physical allocation was used because co-products have low economic value compared to the main products, contributing less than 25 % of the total revenue. The production of production equipment and means of transport, as well asthe machinery, equipment and production goods needed for production and in production are excluded from the scope of the assessment, as are the commuting of workers. The screws required for the installation are excluded from the model, as their quantity is small. Also, the plastic waste handling, which comes from unwrapping the timber packages at the construction site, is excluded from the modelling as the amount of plastic waste from 1 m3 timber package is small. The screws and the plastic represent less than 1% from the weight of the product. No other material or energy flows have been excluded from the system boundaries.
Copyright Yes
Owner of data set
Quantitative reference
Reference flow(s)
Biogenic carbon content
  • Carbon content (biogenic): 202.3 kg
  • Carbon content (biogenic) - packaging: 0.0 kg
Time representativeness
Data set valid until 2030
Time representativeness description "2025-06-16" - "2030-06-16"
Technological representativeness

Indicators of life cycle

IndicatorDirectionUnit Production
A1-A3
 Transport
A4
 Installation
A5
 De-construction
C1
 Transport
C2
 Waste processing
C3
 Disposal
C4
 Recycling Potential
D
Use of renewable primary energy (PERE)
Input
  • 7.14E+3
  • 10.3
  • 0.936
  • 0.936
  • 6.49
  • 0
  • 0
  • 5.29E+3
Use of renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (PERM)
Input
  • 5.88E+3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • -5.88E+3
  • 0
  • 588
Total use of renewable primary energy resource (PERT)
Input
  • 1.3E+4
  • 10.3
  • 0.936
  • 0.936
  • 6.49
  • -5.88E+3
  • 0
  • 5.88E+3
Use of non renewable primary energy (PENRE)
Input
  • 3.26E+4
  • 235
  • 264
  • 264
  • 34.6
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of non renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (PENRM)
Input
  • 64
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Total use of non renewable primary energy resource (PENRT)
Input
  • 3.27E+4
  • 235
  • 264
  • 264
  • 34.6
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of secondary material (SM)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of renewable secondary fuels (RSF)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of non renewable secondary fuels (NRSF)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of net fresh water (FW)
Input
  • 0.0422
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Hazardous waste disposed (HWD)
Output
  • 0.318
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Non hazardous waste dispose (NHWD)
Output
  • 6.13
  • 0
  • 0.607
  • 0.48
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Radioactive waste disposed (RWD)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Components for re-use (CRU)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 47
  • 0
  • 0
Materials for recycling (MFR)
Output
  • 5.5
  • 0
  • 0.607
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Materials for energy recovery (MER)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Exported electrical energy (EEE)
Output
  • 9.52
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 5.29E+3
  • 0
  • 0
Exported thermal energy (EET)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

IndicatorUnit Production
A1-A3
 Transport
A4
 Installation
A5
 De-construction
C1
 Transport
C2
 Waste processing
C3
 Disposal
C4
 Recycling Potential
D
Abiotic depletion potential - fossil resources (ADPF)
  • 1.5E+3
  • 214
  • 325
  • 325
  • 86.5
  • 61.9
  • 1.12
  • -4.64E+3
Abiotic depletion potential - non-fossil resources (ADPE)
  • 0.0000223
  • 1.07E-7
  • 1.53E-7
  • 1.53E-7
  • 4.05E-8
  • 1.87E-7
  • 1.01E-9
  • -0.00000227
Acidification potential, Accumulated Exceedance (AP)
  • 0.359
  • 0.226
  • 0.252
  • 0.252
  • 0.0174
  • 0.0709
  • 0.000756
  • -0.993
Depletion potential of the stratospheric ozone layer (ODP)
  • 0.00000877
  • 0.00000338
  • 0.00000518
  • 0.00000519
  • 0.00000136
  • 4.6E-7
  • 1.44E-8
  • -0.00000375
Eutrophication potential - freshwater (EP-freshwater)
  • 0.0327
  • 0.000762
  • 0.000789
  • 0.000789
  • 0.000354
  • 0.00292
  • 0.000344
  • -0.0327
Eutrophication potential - marine (EP-marine)
  • 0.0972
  • 0.055
  • 0.112
  • 0.112
  • 0.0039
  • 0.0372
  • 0.000139
  • -0.111
Eutrophication potential - terrestrial (EP-terrestrial)
  • 0.885
  • 0.61
  • 1.22
  • 1.22
  • 0.0426
  • 0.357
  • 0.00151
  • -0.746
Global Warming Potential - biogenic (GWP-biogenic)
  • -617
  • 0.0216
  • 0.0392
  • 0.0392
  • 0.013
  • 632
  • 0.0439
  • 135
Global Warming Potential - fossil fuels (GWP-fossil)
  • 117
  • 14.8
  • 24.3
  • 24.4
  • 5.46
  • 6.63
  • 0.0504
  • -349
Global Warming Potential - land use and land use change (GWP-luluc)
  • 0.154
  • 0.00771
  • 0.0036
  • 0.0036
  • 0.00205
  • 0.00217
  • 0.0000522
  • 0.028
Global Warming Potential - total (GWP-total)
  • -5E+2
  • 14.8
  • 24.4
  • 24.4
  • 5.48
  • 639
  • 0.0944
  • -214
No records found.
No records found.
No records found.
No records found.
No records found.
No records found.
No records found.
No records found.
Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP)
  • 0.28
  • 0.167
  • 0.336
  • 0.336
  • 0.0168
  • 0.0879
  • 0.000468
  • -0.749
Water (user) deprivation potential (WDP)
  • 6.61
  • 0.0468
  • 0.0504
  • 0.0504
  • 0.0229
  • -0.177
  • 0.00234
  • -8.66

IndicatorUnit Production
A1-A3
 Transport
A4
 Installation
A5
 De-construction
C1
 Transport
C2
 Waste processing
C3
 Disposal
C4
 Recycling Potential
D
1This impact category deals mainly with the eventual impact of low dose ionizing radiation on human health of the nuclear fuel cycle. It does not consider effects due to possible nuclear accidents, occupational exposure nor due to radioactive waste disposal in underground facilities. Potential ionizing radiation from the soil, from radon and from some construction materials is also not measured by this indicator.
2The results of this environmental impact indicator shall be used with care as the uncertainties on these results are high or as there is limited experiences with the indicator.
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for ecosystems (ETP-fw) 2
  • 1.68E+3
  • 157
  • 188
  • 188
  • 69.7
  • 103
  • 9.12
  • 845
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for humans - cancer effects (HTP-c) 2
  • 1.77E-7
  • 6.53E-9
  • 7.45E-9
  • 7.46E-9
  • 1.82E-9
  • 1.42E-8
  • 6.5E-11
  • -2.27E-8
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for humans - non-cancer effects (HTP-nc) 2
  • 0.00000215
  • 1.4E-7
  • 1.36E-7
  • 1.36E-7
  • 6.94E-8
  • 5.71E-7
  • 8.21E-10
  • -3.38E-7
Potential Human exposure efficiency relative to U235 (IRP) 1
  • 12.7
  • 1.07
  • 1.69
  • 1.69
  • 0.45
  • 0.123
  • 0.00626
  • -3.63
Potential Soil quality index (SQP) 2
  • 4.69E+4
  • 88.3
  • 6.81
  • 6.82
  • 82.6
  • 8.61
  • 1.97
  • -493
Potential incidence of disease due to PM emissions (PM) 2
  • 0.00000357
  • 9.45E-7
  • 0.00000667
  • 0.00000667
  • 4.78E-7
  • 7.25E-7
  • 7.91E-9
  • 3.79E-7