Materials / Deciduous wood
Beech glued laminated timber (glulam)
European beech (Fagus sylvatica), French high forest
Structural glulam made from kiln-dried beech lamellas, finger-jointed and face-glued. Beech in France regenerates mostly naturally under seed trees, so there is no nursery step in the default scenario.
Declared unit: 1 m³ of installed beech glulam at 12% moisture content
Across the steps that could be counted, one declared unit releases about 21.2 kg CO2e of fossil greenhouse gases (range 13.5 to 41.7). The largest share comes from transport to the factory (A2, 43%). The material itself holds 1 146 kg of CO2 that the plants absorbed while growing. 5 of 23 burden flows have a number; the rest are marked as gaps below.
21.2kg CO2e fossil, growing to installedrange 13.5 to 41.7
-1 146kg CO2 stored in the materialDerived
22%of flows with a number5 counted, 18 gaps
4.0data quality score1 best, 5 worst, weighted by impact
0.030kg CO2e per kg of productat 700 kg/m3
Every step, field to wall
Each tag is one process. Its colour shows the weakest evidence among its flows, and the number is its fossil CO2e in kg. Select a tag to open its rows in the inventory.
A1 Growing, harvesting and raw materials
Forest regeneration
Stand management
Harvest
A2 Transport to the factory
Transport
A3 Making the product
Sawmill
Glulam plant
A5 Building it in
Installation
- S Sourced
- D Derived
- P Proxy
- A Assumption
- G Gap
- I Information
Where the fossil emissions happen
Bars add up counted flows only. The whiskers span the low and high cases from the ranges of amounts and emission factors.
Checks and stored carbon
- Comparison with a published EPD
- No beech glulam EPD retrieved; softwood glulam PCF shown for context only: 146.0 kg CO2e (declared life cycle)
Not comparable: different species and modules. Hasslacher glulam PCF - Carbon stored in the material
- 625.0 kg dry mass x 0.50 C x 44/12 = 1 145.8 kg CO2 removed in A1 (reported separately).
EN 16449: CO2 = 44/12 x 0.5 x oven-dry mass. Oven-dry mass = 700/1.12. EN 16449:2014 - Co-products leaving the system
- Bark, chips, sawdust, off-cuts
Mass allocation (EN 16485 permits physical allocation). EN 16485:2014
Assumptions and key inputs
Change these per project by editing the data package. Values marked Assumption are the first ones to replace with real data.
| Parameter | Value | Status | DQ | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product density at 12% MC | 700 kg/m3 | A | 4 | – | Typical beech density; replace with manufacturer data or EN 14080 declared value. |
| Roundwood allocated per m3 product | 1 m3/m3 | D | 3 | EN 16485:2014 | Mass allocation between main product and sawmill co-products (chips, sawdust, bark) at equal density: allocated roundwood = 1 m3 per m3 product. |
| Green roundwood mass | 1 t/m3 | A | 4 | – | Assumed fresh beech roundwood mass for transport. |
| Forest road to sawmill distance | 100 km | A | 4 | – | Regional supply assumption; adjust per project. |
| Factory to construction site distance | 100 km | A | 4 | – | Regional delivery assumption. |
| Conversion: m3 roundwood allocated per DU | 1 | D | See parameter 'rw'. |
Inventory
One row per flow. "Per DU" converts the amount to one declared unit; kg CO2e = per DU x emission factor.
| Flow | Amount | Basis | Per DU | Emission factor | kg CO2e | Status | DQ | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Forest regeneration / Natural regeneration under seed trees Seed cutting and secondary cuttings open the canopy; beech seedlings establish naturally. No nursery, transport or planting in the default scenario. | |||||||||
| Nursery seedlings | 0 seedling | per DU | 0 | Conifer seedling produced, transported and planted (incl. protection) 0.5549 kg CO2e/seedling |
0.000 | Assumption | 3 | SCA forestry cycle | Scenario choice: natural regeneration. Switch to planting by entering seedlings per DU. |
| A1 Forest regeneration / Soil scarification / site preparation Mechanical soil preparation where regeneration is insufficient. | |||||||||
| Diesel, scarifier | ? L | per DU | – | Diesel, non-road (GNR), combustion + upstream 3.16 kg CO2e/L |
– | Gap | 5 | SCA forestry cycle | Quantity not found in retrieved open sources. |
| A1 Stand management / Cleaning and pre-commercial thinning Motor-manual release of young stands (brushcutter, chainsaw). | |||||||||
| Petrol, brushcutter/chainsaw | ? L | per DU | – | no open factor | – | Gap | 5 | – | Quantity and EF not in retrieved sources. |
| A1 Stand management / Commercial thinnings Thinning operations. Their fuel (2.2-3.1 L/m3) is allocated to the thinning wood that they produce, not to final-felling logs. | |||||||||
| Diesel, thinning allocated to this product | 0 L | per DU | 0 | Diesel, non-road (GNR), combustion + upstream 3.16 kg CO2e/L |
0.000 | Derived | 3 | Eur J For Res 2023 (CTL fuel) | Allocation rule: each harvest carries its own burden. |
| A1 Harvest / Felling, delimbing, bucking and forwarding to roadside 4.42 kg CO2e Fully mechanised cut-to-length system (harvester + forwarder). Nordic softwood data used as proxy for beech. | |||||||||
| Diesel, harvester + forwarder | 1.4 L 1.4–3.1 |
per m3rw | 1.4 | Diesel, non-road (GNR), combustion + upstream 3.16 kg CO2e/L |
4.424 | Proxy | 4 | Eur J For Res 2023 (CTL fuel); Apafaian & Borz | Measured 1.4 L/m3 final felling (Nordic). Hardwood on slopes can be higher. |
| A1 Harvest / Chain and bar lubrication Chain oil consumed during felling and crosscutting. | |||||||||
| Chain oil | 0.035 L | per m3rw | 0.035 | no open factor | – | Sourced | 3 | Athanassiadis 2000 | Amount sourced; GWP factor for lubricant not available in open sources. |
| A1 Harvest / Hydraulic oil losses to forest soil Spillage from harvester and forwarder hydraulics. | |||||||||
| Hydraulic oil to soil LCI only | 0.02 L | per m3rw | 0.02 | not a GWP flow | – | Sourced | 3 | Athanassiadis 2000 | Toxicity-relevant emission; not a GWP flow. |
| A1 Harvest / Forest road maintenance Grading and gravel for access roads. | |||||||||
| Road maintenance | ? - | per DU | – | no open factor | – | Gap | 5 | – | Not quantified. |
| A2 Transport / Roundwood transport forest to sawmill 8.75 kg CO2e Truck haulage of green logs. | |||||||||
| Truck transport | 100 t.km 50–200 |
per DU | 100 | Road freight, articulated truck 34-40 t 0.0875 kg CO2e/t.km |
8.750 | Assumption | 4 | Truck 34-40 t default | = 1.0 t/m3 x 100 km (parameters 'green' and 'd_a2'). |
| A2 Transport / Adhesive and packaging to the glulam plant 0.26 kg CO2e Inbound road freight of non-wood inputs. | |||||||||
| Truck transport | 3.0135 t.km 1.2054–6.027 |
per DU | 3.0135 | Road freight, articulated truck 34-40 t 0.0875 kg CO2e/t.km |
0.264 | Assumption | 4 | Truck 34-40 t default | = 6.03 kg x 500 km (assumed supplier distance). |
| A3 Sawmill / Log yard handling Unloading, sorting and feeding logs with a wheel loader; sprinkling of stored logs where used. | |||||||||
| Diesel, wheel loader | ? L | per m3rw | – | Diesel, non-road (GNR), combustion + upstream 3.16 kg CO2e/L |
– | Gap | 5 | – | Plant-specific. |
| A3 Sawmill / Debarking and log sorting Ring debarker; bark leaves as co-product (fuel). | |||||||||
| Electricity | ? kWh | per DU | – | Electricity, France average consumption mix 2024 0.058 kg CO2e/kWh |
– | Gap | 5 | – | Plant-specific; not in retrieved open sources. |
| A3 Sawmill / Sawing into lamellas Band or circular saws; chips and sawdust are co-products (mass allocation). | |||||||||
| Electricity | ? kWh | per DU | – | Electricity, France average consumption mix 2024 0.058 kg CO2e/kWh |
– | Gap | 5 | – | Plant-specific. |
| A3 Sawmill / Kiln drying to 12% MC Conventional kiln drying. Heat usually from biomass boilers fed with own residues (biogenic CO2); fans on grid electricity. | |||||||||
| Heat, biomass boiler (biogenic) | ? MJ | per DU | – | no open factor | – | Gap | 5 | – | Biogenic CO2 not counted in GWP-fossil; heat quantity not sourced. |
| Electricity, kiln fans | ? kWh | per DU | – | Electricity, France average consumption mix 2024 0.058 kg CO2e/kWh |
– | Gap | 5 | – | Plant-specific. |
| A3 Glulam plant / Planing, strength grading, defect cutting Visual/machine grading per EN 14081. | |||||||||
| Electricity | ? kWh | per DU | – | Electricity, France average consumption mix 2024 0.058 kg CO2e/kWh |
– | Gap | 5 | – | |
| A3 Glulam plant / Finger jointing Lamellas joined end-to-end. | |||||||||
| Electricity | ? kWh | per DU | – | Electricity, France average consumption mix 2024 0.058 kg CO2e/kWh |
– | Gap | 5 | – | |
| A3 Glulam plant / Adhesive application PUR or MUF face gluing. Amount taken from a spruce CLT EPD as proxy. | |||||||||
| Adhesive (PUR/MUF) | 5.63 kg | per DU | 5.63 | no open factor | – | Proxy | 4 | Setra CLT EPD | Amount proxy from CLT; adhesive GWP factor not available in open sources. |
| A3 Glulam plant / Pressing and curing Hydraulic press. | |||||||||
| Electricity | ? kWh | per DU | – | Electricity, France average consumption mix 2024 0.058 kg CO2e/kWh |
– | Gap | 5 | – | |
| A3 Glulam plant / Final planing, cutting, CNC joinery | |||||||||
| Electricity | ? kWh | per DU | – | Electricity, France average consumption mix 2024 0.058 kg CO2e/kWh |
– | Gap | 5 | – | |
| A3 Glulam plant / Packaging Wrap film and straps. | |||||||||
| PE film | 0.207 kg | per DU | 0.207 | no open factor | – | Proxy | 4 | Setra CLT EPD | Proxy from CLT EPD; EF not available. |
| PP straps | 0.19 kg | per DU | 0.19 | no open factor | – | Proxy | 4 | Setra CLT EPD | Proxy from CLT EPD; EF not available. |
| A4 Transport / Delivery to construction site 6.13 kg CO2e Truck, full load. | |||||||||
| Truck transport | 70 t.km 35–140 |
per DU | 70 | Road freight, articulated truck 34-40 t 0.0875 kg CO2e/t.km |
6.125 | Assumption | 4 | Truck 34-40 t default | = 0.70 t x 100 km. |
| A5 Installation / Crane lifting, positioning and fixing 1.59 kg CO2e Aggregated installation burden taken from a sawn-timber EPD A5 value as proxy. | |||||||||
| Installation (EPD A5 proxy) | 1.59 kgCO2e | per DU | 1.59 | Direct GWP value (aggregated proxy) 1 kg CO2e/kgCO2e |
1.590 | Proxy | 4 | Sawn timber EPD NEPD-3442-2053 | Proxy: sawn spruce/pine EPD, module A5. |
| A5 Installation / Steel connectors and screws Connectors depend on the structural design. | |||||||||
| Steel fasteners | ? kg | per DU | – | no open factor | – | Gap | 5 | – | Project-specific. |
| A5 Installation / Site offcuts and packaging waste Handling of off-cuts (energy recovery) and packaging. | |||||||||
| Installation losses | ? % | per DU | – | no open factor | – | Gap | 5 | – | Not quantified. |
| Total fossil CO2e, counted flows | 21.15 | range 13.47 to 41.66 | |||||||
Not included
- Manufacture of machinery, vehicles, factory buildings and forest roads (capital goods)
- Staff commuting, offices and research
- Use stage (B1-B7) and end of life (C1-C4, D); lime carbonation during use is shown as information only
- Land-use change and soil carbon, listed as gaps where relevant because they are site-specific
Sources used on this page
- Eur J For Res 2023 (CTL fuel). Fuel consumption of cut-to-length logging machinery under Nordic conditions: 1.4 L/m3 final felling; 3.1 and 2.2 L/m3 first and later thinning. Eur J Forest Res (2023). Link
- Apafaian & Borz. Apafaian A.I., Borz S.A. Harvester-forwarder system in a Norway spruce clear-cut: mean fuel consumption about 1.7 L/m3. Annals of Forest Research. Link
- Athanassiadis 2000. Athanassiadis D. (2000). Resource consumption and emissions induced by logging machinery in a life cycle perspective. Doctoral thesis, SLU (chain oil 35 L/1000 m3ub; hydraulic oil spill 20 L/1000 m3ub). Link
- Forests 2026, 17:316. LCA of post-disturbance reforestation: planting 800 four-year-old Norway spruce seedlings incl. residue chipping = 443.91 kg CO2 eq; nursery and establishment dominate. Forests 17(3):316. Link
- Setra CLT EPD. Setra Travaror AB. EPD NEPD-3329-1967, Cross laminated timber: spruce 430 kg, PU adhesive 5.63 kg, PE film 0.207 kg, PP bands 0.19 kg per m3. Link
- Sawn timber EPD NEPD-3442-2053. EPD NEPD-3442-2053, sawn dried spruce/pine (16% MC): GWP fossil A1-A3 28.9, A4 3.18, A5 1.59 kg CO2e/m3; spruce 197 kg C/m3. Link
- ADEME Base Empreinte (fuels). ADEME Base Empreinte, status 'valide generique': gazole non routier 3.16 kgCO2e/L; gazole routier B7 3.10 kgCO2e/L; electricite 2022 0.05 kgCO2e/kWh (combustion + upstream). Link
- ADEME Base Empreinte (electricity 2024). ADEME Base Empreinte, electricite mix moyen France 2024 = 58 gCO2e/kWh (as used by SNCF comparateur carbone). Link
- Truck 34-40 t default. Regulatory default 2026 for articulated truck 34-40 t: 0.0875 kgCO2e per t.km (as reported by Projet Celsius, from ADEME Base Empreinte). Link
- EN 16449:2014. EN 16449:2014 Wood and wood-based products: calculation of biogenic carbon content (carbon fraction 0.5 of oven-dry mass). Link
- EN 16485:2014. EN 16485:2014 Round and sawn timber: PCR for wood and wood-based products (allocation, biogenic carbon). Link
- Hasslacher glulam PCF. Hasslacher, IBU product carbon footprint for glulam and related products: 146 kg CO2e over the declared life cycle (context only). Link
- SCA forestry cycle. SCA: regeneration harvesting, soil scarification 1-2 years after felling, planting, pre-commercial thinning, thinning; rotation 80-120 years. Link