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DimACV configurator for natural stone products, open on a laptop resting on a block of stone in a quarry, next to a generated FDES.

FDES configurator for natural stone products

Ailoop builds custom FDES configurators for the natural stone sector (FDES: the French EPD format, Fiche de Déclaration Environnementale et Sanitaire). Manufacturers and quarry operators generate the FDES of each product from the type of stone, its dimensions, how it is laid and the distance to the construction site. For CTMNC: 388 FDES generated, 11 manufacturers supported.

See the families covered
Naeem ADIBIGuillaume SZABLEWSKIMarie BECCATRequest a demo

With an LCA expert and a digital expert

Why is a single FDES not enough for your natural stone products?

Because stone changes from one quarry to another, and a product from one order to the next: type of rock, density, dimensions, laying method, delivery. A single FDES for a whole range doesn't accurately describe the product delivered to the site.

One FDES for the whole range
  • Order ASolid stone, limestone20 × 60 × 30 cmSite in Paris
  • Order BFlooring, granite3 × 40 × 40 cmSite in Lyon
  • Order CPaving, sandstone10 × 10 × 10 cmSite in Rennes
FDESA single FDESRange average
Doesn't describe the product delivered
One FDES per order, with a configurator
  • Order ASolid stone, limestone20 × 60 × 30 cmSite in Paris
  • Order BFlooring, granite3 × 40 × 40 cmSite in Lyon
  • Order CPaving, sandstone10 × 10 × 10 cmSite in Rennes
  • FDES A
  • FDES B
  • FDES C

  1. A material that varies from one quarry to another

    Type of rock, density, extraction losses: two blocks from two quarries have neither the same properties nor the same impacts.

  2. Many formats and laying methods

    Solid stone, flooring, setts, kerbs: dimensions, laying method and finishes change from one site to another.

  3. A sector with many manufacturers

    Many manufacturers have neither the time nor the LCA expertise for a study per product. A collective tool gives them access to reliable FDES without becoming experts.

The natural stone product families we model

Seven natural stone product families are already modelled by Ailoop in DimACV, the sector’s collective configurator, developed with CTMNC. Our experts can model other natural stone products, including those in your catalogue.

  • Illustration: solid stone Already modelled by Ailoop

    FDES configurator for solid stone

    Walls and dressed stone elements: type of stone, dimensions, density and laying method define the FDES of each element.

    See an example
  • Illustration: double wall Already modelled by Ailoop

    FDES configurator for natural stone double walls

    Double walls with a natural stone facing: type of stone, thickness, dimensions and laying method are taken into account to generate the FDES.

    See an example
  • Illustration: thin stone wall cladding Already modelled by Ailoop

    FDES configurator for thin stone wall cladding

    Stone veneers and thin wall cladding: thickness, dimensions and fixing method vary from one project to another; the FDES follows the configuration chosen.

    See an example
  • Illustration: building flooring Already modelled by Ailoop

    FDES configurator for natural stone building flooring

    Building flooring: format, thickness, finish and laying method are entered to generate the FDES of the flooring delivered.

    See an example
  • Illustration: road paving setts Already modelled by Ailoop

    FDES configurator for natural stone road paving setts

    Road paving setts: type of stone, sett dimensions, laying and distance to the site are included in the calculation.

    See an example
  • Illustration: road paving slabs Already modelled by Ailoop

    FDES configurator for natural stone road paving slabs

    Road paving slabs: thickness, dimensions, finish and laying method define the FDES of each configuration.

    See an example
  • Illustration: road kerbs Already modelled by Ailoop

    FDES configurator for natural stone road kerbs

    Road kerbs: dimensions, type of stone and delivery are taken into account to generate the corresponding FDES.

    See an example

  • Your product family isn't on the list?

    Our experts model every product family in natural stone. Let's talk about it during the free audit.

    Book my free audit

What the configurator varies

In our FDES configurators for natural stone products, the user enters the stone, the product and how it is installed: the form only shows the parameters of the chosen family.

Stone and product

  • Type of stone
  • Dimensions (width, length, height, thickness)
  • Density

Installation and site

  • Laying method
  • Finishes
  • Distance to the site
Conceptual previewTypical flow of a distributor configurator in three steps: choose the family, enter the parameters, then download the FDES, the XML file and the Excel spreadsheet. Example values.
Naeem ADIBIGuillaume SZABLEWSKIMarie BECCATRequest a demo

With an LCA expert and a digital expert

Distributor or generator: which configurator for your natural stone products?

For natural stone, what mostly varies are the variants of products covered by collective FDES: type of stone, dimensions, laying, delivery. That's why we generally choose the distributor configurator.

Suited to your sector

Distributor configurator

A distributor configurator is verified once, then recognised for RE2020, the French environmental regulation for new buildings: the FDES it produces can be used directly, with no obligation to submit them to INIES, in an XML format that can be imported into building calculation software. The manufacturer can also choose to submit them to INIES to broaden its published catalogue.

Generator configurator

A generator configurator is verified once; each FDES it generates then goes through a lighter verification (the verifier checks the composition rather than the calculations), and is then submitted to INIES.

The choice depends on what varies: if it is the variants of your products, a distributor configurator; if it is your inputs and processes (several sites, formulations, raw materials), a generator configurator.

Understand the difference between distributor and generator configurators

A collective FDES configurator already in production for natural stone

Ailoop developed DimACV with CTMNC: the natural stone sector’s collective FDES configurator, covering seven product families.

Product selection screen of the DimACV configurator: seven natural stone product families.

CTMNCSector · natural stone

DimACV: a collective configurator for the natural stone sector

The need
Make the variability specific to natural stone (quarry geology, extraction and sawing energy, transport, formats delivered) usable without a study for each combination.
What was built
Together with CTMNC, Ailoop designed a configurator that speaks the sector’s language. Manufacturers, often not LCA experts, describe their product and how it is installed; the methodological rules of the DimACV project apply automatically.
Who did what
Model and rules: DimACV collective project led by CTMNC. Configurator design and development: Ailoop.
  • 388FDES generated
  • 180users
  • 11manufacturers provided their data
Explore the CTMNC project

The examples shown here are those our clients have allowed us to cite. Other configurators have been developed for manufacturers who wish to remain anonymous.

Methodology

How is an FDES configurator built?

For natural stone, the quarry data (type of rock, density, losses) is gathered from the very first step: it is what makes the FDES true to the product delivered.

  1. 01

    Define the products and variations to cover

    Identify the families, the products, the parameters that make the results vary, the users and the expected deliverables.

  2. 02

    Structure the LCA models and the data

    Environmental data, assumptions, rules and validity ranges.

  3. 03

    Develop the configurator

    Business forms, calculation engine, checks, data, rules and exports.

  4. 04

    Test and prepare for verification

    Reference cases, consistency of results, limits, traceability and documentation.

  5. 05

    Deploy and evolve

    Opening to users, new product ranges, data updates, maintenance and regulatory changes.

Find out how to build an FDES configurator

Frequently asked questions about FDES configurators for natural stone products

How does an FDES configurator take into account the type of stone and its density?

The type of stone and its density are configurator parameters. The user chooses the stone; the corresponding density is suggested or entered, depending on the model.

Together with the product’s dimensions, this data is used to determine the quantity of material and recalculate the environmental impacts of the configuration declared.

Can a collective FDES represent my natural stone products?

Yes, when your products fall within the scope of the collective FDES. With DimACV, a generated FDES is representative of the manufacturers covered by the parent FDES, for example all manufacturers of solid stone extracted and worked in mainland France.

The configurator then adapts it to the stone, dimensions, laying and delivery of your product.

Can you generate an FDES for a specific order or construction project?

Yes. An FDES configurator can generate a declaration matching a specific configuration, as long as it stays within the scope planned and verified.

The distance to the site is one of the parameters: the FDES reflects the actual transport of the product delivered.

What documents does the configurator produce?

The FDES as a PDF, the XML file in INIES format and an Excel spreadsheet with the detailed results. Generated FDES remain available in each user’s “Mes FDES” (My FDES) space.

Why choose Ailoop for your natural stone FDES configurator?

Ailoop brings LCA expertise and software development together in one team, and has already put the natural stone sector’s collective FDES configurator into production.

  • Dual expertise in LCA and digital

    Our chairman, Dr Ing Naeem ADIBI, has 20 years of experience in LCA; our managing director, Guillaume SZABLEWSKI, 20 years in digital transformation. Our LCA experts and our developers work together, from environmental modelling to going live. This complementarity lets us design reliable configurators, tailored to your products and ready for your teams to use.

  • Already in production for natural stone

    Our configurators are already up and running for the natural stone sector. They generate verified FDES from collective FDES published on INIES (the French national EPD database) and usable in RE2020 calculations.

    388
    FDES generated
    11
    manufacturers provided their data

  • A tool designed for a whole sector

    We start by studying your real needs. Each manufacturer accesses its FDES from its own space, and the tool can connect to your systems to generate an FDES with every quote. Tailor-made, built around the way you work.

  • A configurator that evolves with your catalogue

    New families, data updates, regulatory changes: we keep the tool and its LCA model up to date over time, without starting from scratch.

Are your natural stone products a good fit for an FDES configurator?

In a 100% free, no-obligation audit, we look with you at your product families, what varies from one order to the next and the data available. You leave with answers to your questions and our advice on next steps.

Book my free audit
  • Naeem ADIBI
  • Guillaume SZABLEWSKI
  • Marie BECCAT

Led by Naeem ADIBI, Guillaume SZABLEWSKI and Marie BECCAT.