Boosting Product Confidence with the CCPI

Since the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022, it's crucial for cladding manufacturers to provide accurate information about their products.­ Alan Lamming from Valcan discusses how CCPI is building a sense of trust among manufacturers and specifiers.

In today's industry, providing clear, accurate, and transparent information about construction products is essential to ensure that architects make informed decisions about the design of buildings. Architects and main contractors rely on this information to ensure compliance, design, specification, installation, use, maintenance, and disposal of materials on their projects.

Clear and transparent product information can also contribute to the overall safety and durability of buildings and their façades. Architects need to have a thorough understanding of the performance characteristics of cladding materials and systems to ensure that they meet the necessary safety standards and regulations. This information is crucial for designing façades that are safe, resilient and can withstand various environmental challenges over time.

The Code for Construction Product Information

The Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) was created to promote an urgent and positive culture and behaviour change in the way the construction product manufacturing industry manages and provides information on their products. Created by the Construction Product Association (CPA) in response to Dame Judith Hackitt's review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, this code aims to change how product information is managed and provided.

Dame Judith Hackitt's review highlighted the urgent need for a shift in the way construction product organisations market their products. The CCPI sets out to raise standards in product information and move the industry to a place where product information is communicated clearly, accurately, and effectively, whether it's in a brochure, presentation, website, or social media platform.

By raising standards and promoting transparency, the CCPI is paving the way for a more informed and confident decision-making process for architects and users of construction products. It's all about helping to build a culture of greater trust and reliability in the industry.

How does the CCPI work?

The CCPI aims to raise standards in product information and its management. By going through a rigorous assessment process, manufacturers of construction products can demonstrate their commitment to providing accurate and consistent product information. This not only helps to benefit confidence among architects and others involved in building design, but also sets a high standard for the UK construction market.

To make it easier for architects, contractors, and clients to identify assessed products which carry the CCPI Mark, the CCPI has created an online product search function on the CCPI website. This directory offers a comprehensive list of products that have been assessed against the Code, all at no cost to users.  Furthermore, as the scheme grows, architects will increasingly find CCPI assessed products on specifier search engines.

The assessment process

The CCPI process involves a thorough evaluation of the leadership, culture and ethics of the organisation in relation to prioritising product information management, assessment of information management systems, and assessment of specific product data. Once manufacturers successfully complete this process and can prove conformance with the Code that is independently assessed by CCPI assessors, they receive a CCPI assessment mark for their product information that they have put through the process.

At Valcan, we recently underwent the thorough CCPI assessment for our VitraDual A1 rated Aluminium Cladding panels and our Ceramapanel A1/A2 Fibre Cement panels, and have now been awarded the CCPI mark and place in the CCPI directory.

This independent third-party assessment helps to give architects, contractors, and building owners peace of mind that they are choosing a product based on product information that conforms with the CCPI. At Valcan, we continue to lead the industry in providing innovative and sustainable cladding solutions that prioritise safety without compromising on design aesthetics.

But we won’t stop there – we are currently undergoing CCPI assessment for product information on our additional rainscreen cladding products, with the aim of obtaining CCPI assessment for the product information of that entire product line. We’re looking forward to continuing work with CCPI to prioritise our product information to benefit the safety and quality in all our products.

Cladding Product Specification and CCPI in the future

In the coming years, it is expected that clients, specifiers, and users will demand cladding products that provide product information which conforms with the CCPI. With the establishment of the Building Safety Regulator and National Regulator for Construction Products (NRCP), CCPI will play a crucial role in establishing the industry's commitment to addressing safety concerns and meeting regulatory standards in relation to product information. It is imperative for companies to align with CCPI to support their efforts and dedication to quality and safety in construction projects and throughout the lifecycle of buildings.

Amanda Long, Chief Executive, CPI Ltd commented,

“At CCPI we are focussed on raising standards of product information across the industry and moving the industry to a place where product information can be more relied upon.  We are delighted to work with early adopters of CCPI, such as Valcan, who are showing leadership at this critical time when the industry must engage in necessary change”.