Wide Range of Services for More Sustainable Concrete

Concrete is the world's most common building material. It's used in construction, especially in foundations and structures against the ground, as well as frames and as a facade material in the construction of apartment buildings. On the infrastructure side, concrete is used, for example, in bridges, retaining walls and tunnels.

Most of the carbon dioxide emissions of concrete are from the original binder, Portland cement. In addition to cement, concrete also affects the environment like manufacturing, the use of natural resources, and transportation.

Our commitment to quality

Kiwa knows concrete inside out. Our commitment to quality, durability and safety ensures that from our wide variety of services our customers receive high-quality and environmentally friendly solutions. Our offering and expertise help our customers achieve their sustainability goals and demonstrate their commitment to the environment. Our concrete certification services promote sustainable construction and help our customers meet various quality and safety standards related to concrete. CE marking, low-carbon concrete and EEJ (EoW) certification of crushed concrete and EPD are services offered by Kiwa Finland to manufacturers of concrete products.

Concrete product certification services

Here at Kiwa we offer all the necessary product certification services for concrete and concrete products manufacturers helping them declare the technical properties and enter to the market.

CE marking for construction products is a European procedure that verifies and certifies the properties of the product in a uniform and comparable manner. The CE marking covers the construction product's essential safety and health features, such as the load-bearing capacity and long-term durability of the structure. The CE marking enables the free movement of construction products in the EU area, which increases the competitiveness of export companies. Kiwa Finland acts as a notified body and issues certificates required for CE marking. The product requires initial testing and a documented quality control system from the manufacturer. Kiwa Finland certifies the initial testing and quality control and issues a certificate as proof.

Besides CE-mark, there are several national product approvals FI-mark, Product Verification and Type approval for the products for which CE marking is not possible. National product certificates verifies that product fulfills the national requirements for building products.

Low carbon concrete certification

The certification of low-carbon concrete production justifies the production of low-carbon concrete in accordance with the BY (Betoni Yhdistys ry / Concrete Association of Finland) Concrete low-carbon classification and gives the right to use the BY low-carbon logo. The BY-Low-carbon classification is a voluntary, national method for reducing concrete's CO₂ emissions and reporting emissions from concrete production. The use of the low-carbon classification requires the manufacturer to calculate emissions with a calculator approved by BY and to certify the production of low-carbon concrete. Inspecta Sertifiointi Oy is qualified to issue certificates for the production of low-carbon concrete. More information about the certification and classifications can be found here: https://vahahiilinenbetoni.fi/in-english/.   

EEJ certification of crushed concrete

Used concrete or surplus concrete from concrete production ceases to be waste when the concrete waste is received and made into crushed concrete in accordance with the requirements of the regulation. EEJ-certified crushed concrete can be used in construction, for example, as aggregate, raw material for concrete production, and as fertilizer or soil conditioner. The EEJ certification of crushed concrete means converting concrete classified as waste into a product again in accordance with the assessment criteria for ending crushed concrete as waste in Government Decree 466/2022. This is based on the European End of Waste (EoW) procedure. These national requirements will be the base for European legislation in the future.

Quality and Management system certification

Many of our product certification customers also have different ISO certifications for quality (ISO 9001), environment (ISO 14001), health and safety (ISO 45001) or other management certifications. These certificates are also good foundation to build on product certification and show company’s commitment to quality. Often, especially with companies with high sustainability goals, have certification for energy efficiency (ISO 50001).

Inspection services for concrete

In addition to certification services, Kiwa Finland can inspect concrete structures and thereby provide important information on the building, bridge, or structure itself. With this information it is possible to maintain and service the concrete in the best way and on time.

There are also AI technologies for inspecting large concreate structures, like Spotscale, that can create a 3D image for the structure and even analyze the findings with the help of our experts. Inspections are important for the environment but most of all for the safety of the structure for all the users.