Building materials inevitably have an environmental impact. The important question is therefore not whether a product is completely impact-free, but how well it balances durability, thermal performance, structural performance, resource efficiency and end-of-life options.

Triotherm+ was developed to provide a structural and thermally efficient solution for window and door installation while reducing thermal bridging at critical junctions.

Balancing Performance and Environmental Impact

A door upstand has to fulfil several functions at the same time.

It must provide structural support, resist moisture, maintain dimensional stability and form part of the building’s thermal envelope.

For this reason, material selection should consider not only the origin of the material, but also its expected service life, thermal performance, durability and potential for reuse or recycling.

Triotherm+ is manufactured from high-density EPS and combines low thermal conductivity with high structural performance and very low moisture absorption.

 

Triotherm Compared with Conventional Concrete Upstands

Conventional concrete upstands can provide excellent structural support, but they also create a highly conductive path through the insulation layer unless additional measures are taken.

Triotherm+ combines structural support and thermal insulation in one component.

This can reduce thermal bridging at the door threshold while also simplifying the construction detail.

The environmental performance of a building product should not be judged by one characteristic alone. Manufacturing, transport, service life, thermal performance and end-of-life treatment all contribute to the overall environmental impact.

For Triotherm+, these impacts are documented through an independently verified Environmental Product Declaration.

Environmental Product Declaration

Triotherm+ has an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) in accordance with recognised environmental assessment standards.

An EPD provides transparent, standardised information about the environmental impacts associated with a product throughout defined stages of its life cycle.

This includes areas such as:

• raw material supply
• manufacturing
• transport
• end-of-life scenarios
• recycling or energy recovery potential

The EPD allows the environmental performance of Triotherm+ to be assessed using independently verified data rather than general environmental claims.

Recyclability and End of Life

Triotherm+ is made from EPS, a homogeneous material that can be mechanically recycled where suitable collection and recycling routes are available.

The published EPD includes end-of-life scenarios covering both material recycling and energy recovery. It also identifies the production of the raw material as one of the main contributors to the environmental profile of the product.

This transparency is important because environmental performance should consider the entire life cycle of a product rather than focusing only on the material used at the point of manufacture.

Cradle to Cradle Certified® Silver

Triotherm+ profiles are Cradle to Cradle Certified® at the Silver level.

The Cradle to Cradle certification framework assesses products across a range of sustainability criteria, including areas such as material health, material reutilisation, renewable energy, water stewardship and social responsibility.

Unlike an EPD, which primarily provides quantified environmental data, Cradle to Cradle certification evaluates the broader design and manufacturing approach behind a product.

Low-Emission Classification

Triotherm+ is also classified as EMICODE® EC1 Plus, indicating very low emissions.

This provides an additional independent assessment of the product’s emissions performance.

Why Thermal Performance Also Matters

The environmental impact of a building product should not be considered independently from the role it performs in the building.

A poorly insulated threshold detail can create a significant thermal bridge and increase heat loss over the lifetime of the building.

By combining structural support with thermal insulation, Triotherm+ helps maintain continuity of the insulation layer at doors and floor-to-ceiling windows.

This means that its environmental contribution is not limited to the material itself, but also includes the potential reduction of heat loss through a more thermally efficient construction detail.

The Important Point

Triotherm+ is not promoted as an impact-free material.

Instead, it is a structural thermal component whose environmental performance is documented through independent certifications and environmental declarations.

Its combination of durability, thermal performance, structural capability, recyclability and independently verified environmental data makes it a well-documented option for reducing thermal bridging at window and door connections.

For the relevant certificates and environmental documentation, please refer to our Technical Documentation section.