We support, advise, and empower our clients with professional expertise and over 30 years of experience, enabling them to implement their projects optimally from a holistic perspective.
Products and services require a transparent and comparable data basis for environmental assessments. Life cycle assessments (LCA) provide this by quantifying environmental impacts across the entire life cycle – from raw material extraction to disposal.
Depending on the objective, this can take the form of a comprehensive LCA or a focused carbon footprint (CF).
Ökoplus specializes in complex (infrastructure) projects and has built up in-depth expertise in the field of building materials and processes. Many years of experience enable us to assess the depth of the study, which can ultimately save time and resources. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are based on such life cycle assessments and make environmental impacts comprehensible and accessible in a standardized way – for example for building owners, certification systems or public tenders.
Ökoplus calculates EPDs for construction products in particular. We support our clients throughout the entire process – from data collection and balancing to the procurement and networking of verifiers.
Due to our location in Austria, our expertise lies in particular there and in neighboring countries.
Abfallwirtschaft
Waste Management
Optimizing disposal or recycling pathways for waste streams or by-products can often lead to savings of several million euros. Our long-standing connections with the waste management sector, along with in-depth knowledge of legal and scientific frameworks in Austria and Europe, form the foundation of our unique consulting services. This national and international expertise enables us to support decisions that are both ecologically and economically beneficial.
-) Establishing planning foundations by mapping regional waste management and analyzing future scenarios along with their impacts
-) Assessment of measures using life cycle analysis, benchmarks aligned with the objectives of the Waste Management Act (AWG), modified cost-effectiveness analyses, and cost-benefit analyses
-) Conservation of resources (raw materials, landfill capacity), often leading to substantial cost savings (e.g., selling materials instead of expensive disposal)
-) Avoidance of waste regime classification
Strategische Umweltberatung
Strategic Environmental Consulting
Environmental consulting requires extensive knowledge across diverse fields. The goal is always the efficient implementation of measures for sustainable outcomes, requiring both a comprehensive understanding of the bigger picture and meticulous planning and communication of individual measures and strategies.
Key areas of expertise integrated into our assessments:
-) Environmental law (e.g., technical guidelines, Taxonomy Regulation)
-) Environmental impact declarations and environmental impact assessments
-) Energy efficiency
-) Stakeholder communication
Ökoplus projects
With over 30 years of experience in life cycle assessment, carbon footprint analysis, waste management, and environmental consulting, we have successfully implemented numerous projects.
Ökobilanz
Wildlife bridge as a free-form shell
In most cases, the construction of a free-form shell is only conceivable in new buildings. However, if structurally possible, the construction of a free-form shell as a wildlife bridge should definitely be considered, as the CO2eq savings amount to around 50%
Eisenbahnkreuzung
Overpass, underpass and railroad crossing in comparison
As soon as a railroad crossing becomes more frequented, the replacement of a crossing should be considered. An overpass is preferable to an underpass wherever possible.
Carbon Footprints
Comparative Carbon Footprints
Comparative carbon footprints of bituminous base course and soil stabilization for existing construction
Despite the comparatively low quantity used per area, the stabilization of the subsoil with lime & cement is very CO2eq intensive. The use of CINERIT would lead to a significant improvement of over 45% or almost 20 kg CO2eq/m2.
Tunnelbau
Tunnel construction for different cross-sections
The 18.5% smaller cross-section (44m2 instead of 54m2) only saves around 8% in CO2eq emissions. In order to make small cross-sections really ecologically interesting, a more significant reduction would have to be achieved here.
Special construction methods such as cut-and-cover-tunnel or bored tunnel are generally more CO2eq-intensive. However, it is particularly the necessary auxiliary construction measures such as jet grouting processes or bored pile walls that considerably increase the carbon footprint.
Bahnstrecke
Electrification and enhancement of a railroad line
Electrification and enhancement of a railroad line over its life cycle: Electrification, Tunnel renovation, Modal shift
Emissions per person would decrease by a factor of 3.6 when switching from diesel to electric operation
The significant decrease in operational CO2 emissions enables the electrification to reach ecological amortization within one year, making the project particularly appealing from an ecological standpoint.
