Green Construction
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Topical Reports Green Construction |
Smart Material and Product Choices
Think of the services that well chosen building materials provide – they give the building structural soundness, provide shielding from the elements, enhance the health and comfort of the interior environment, and give the building an aesthetically pleasing visual identity. Focusing on the services that building materials provide is one way to spotlight opportunities to increase the quality of those services, minimize waste on site, and reduce environmental impacts of materials production on a life-cycle basis.
Questions to Consider
High-Performance Materials and Life Cycle Issues
- How can scrap or waste be minimized when estimating the quantities of materials that will be needed?
- Can alternative framing techniques reduce structural wood requirements?
- Are there structural materials that will reduce energy costs by reducing heat loss?
- What opportunities are available for incorporating reusable and recycled wood, stone, wallboard, fixtures, and other materials into the building?
- Where virgin lumber is necessary, can wood be acquired from certified sources? Are there potential uses for non-wood materials, such as plastic lumber, or agricultural residue?
- Can life cycle costs and impacts be analyzed?
- What opportunities can be incorporated in the design to maximize reuse, remodelability, and durability?
Certified Wood
General Product Directories and Selection Standards
Recycled Content Building Materials
Reused Building and Construction Materials
Minimizing Material Surplus and Enhancing Durability
Non-Traditional Materials for Residential Construction
High-Performance Materials and Life Cycle Issues
GreenSpec - The Environmental Building News Product Directory
Contains up to date information on more than 1,200 green building products selected by the editors of Environmental Building News.
http://www.greenspec.com/directory/Home.htmlBuilding Materials: What Makes a Product Green
This article is a wealth of cross-cutting information including topic areas:http://www.buildinggreen.com/features/gp/green_products.html
- Challenges in Defining What is Green
- Defining Standards When Feasible
- Products Made from Environmentally Attractive Materials
- Products That Are Green Because of What Isn't There
- Products That Reduce Environmental Impacts During Construction, Renovation, or Demolition
- Products That Reduce Environmental Impacts of Building Operation
- Products That Contribute to a Safe, Healthy Indoor Environment
CERF - Advancing the Design and Construction Industry Through Innovation
Created by the American Society of Civil Engineers, brings together diverse groups within the civil engineering community to “facilitate, integrate, and coordinate” solutions to complex research challenges facing the design, construction and environmental industries. CERF operates innovative technology evaluation centers, including one specifically for buildings, to help industry expedite the transfer of innovation into practice. Their CONstruction MATerials (CONMAT) program emphasizes research, development and deployment of high-performance construction materials and systems.
http://www.cerf.org/conmat/Thesis: Life Cycle Analysis of a Residential Home in Michigan
By: Steven Blanchard and Peter Reppe. October 1998. Sponsored by the National Pollution Prevention Center. Downloadable in .pdf format.
A residential home in Ann Arbor, Michigan was analyzed to determine total life cycle energy consumption of materials fabrication, construction, use and demolition over a 50 year period. Global warming potential and life cycle cost were also determined. The home was then modeled to reduce life cycle energy consumption through various strategies and substitution opportunities.
http://www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/research/lcahome/index.html
Co-op America's WoodWise Program
Overview of certified lumber and sellers of certified lumber
Contact: 800-58-GREEN
http://www.woodwise.orgSmartwood
Certified wood guidelines, products and suppliers.
http://www.smartwood.org/guidelines/index.htmlCertified Forest Products Council
An independent and voluntary initiative, committed to promoting responsible purchase of forest products in an effort to improve forest management practices. Actively promotes and facilitates third-party certification of forest products, alternative products, and transitioning away from products originating in endangered forests.
http://www.certifiedwood.orgForest Stewardship Council (FSC)
An independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization consisting of environmental and conservation groups, timber industry, forestry profession, indigenous peoples' organizations, community forestry groups and forest product certification organizations from 25 countries. FSC promotes responsible forest management by evaluating and accrediting certifiers, by encouraging the dedication of national and regional forest management standards, and by providing public education and information about independent, third-party certification. The FSC has a set of Principles and Criteria for Forest Management.
http://www.fscus.org/Sustainable Forestry Initiative
The American Forest and Papaer Association's certification program for member companies.
http://www.afandpa.org/forestry/sfi_frame.html
General Product Directories and Selection Standards
Green Building Materials
A for-purchase guide to product selection and specifications.
Contact: 212-850-6336The Oikos Green Building Site and Produce Gallery
Search for green building products, product gallery
http://oikos.com/From Oikos, link to Resources for Environmental Design Index (REDI) to environmentally friendly building
http://oikos.com/redi/Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES)
Identifying environmentally and economically balanced building products is no easy task. The National Institute of Standards and Technology Green Buildings Program began the BEES project in 1995 to facilitate the identification process. BEES is a systematic methodology for selecting building products that achieve the most appropriate balance between environmental and economic performance.
http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/publications/journals/bees.html
Recycled Content Building Materials
Business and Industry Resource Venture (BIRV) - Seattle, WA
(For Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Projects in the City of Seattle)
BIRV offers free technical assistance to the construction industry in Seattle, Washingon. A project of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Seattle Public Utilities, BIRV "can help design to prevent waste, reduce, reuse, and recycle waste on the job site; and select and use resource-efficient building materials.
http://www.www.resourceventure.orgGuide to Resource Efficient Building Elements (GREBE) (by the Center for Resourceful Building Technology)
http://www.crbt.orgEncompass Recycled Content Buildings
Recycled building products and how they have been used in King County
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/market/encompass/index.htmEnvironmental Home Center - Seattle, Washington
(For Residential Projects)
http://enviresource.com/Cellulose Insulation Manufacturing Association
A trade organization for the "Naturally Better Thermal Protection" provided by cellulose insulation.
http://www.cellulose.org/Recycled Carpeting
Article: Carpet Take-Back: EPR American Style, published in Autumn 2000 edition of Environmental Quality ManagementMilliken cleans, refurbishes and re-dyes used carpet tiles from commercial applications.Recycled Furniture Directory
http://www.resources.com/recycle/Index2.htmRecycled Paint
Listing available of nationwide paint reprocessors and reblenders.
Contact: linda.lindquist@moea.state.mn.us
Reused Building and Construction Materials
Reusable Building Materials Exchange (RBME)
(For Western Washington)
The RBME is a convenient way to easily exchange small or large quantities of used or surplus building materials. Post listings of materials to get rid of or browse for materials currently available in specific locations.
http://www.rbme.com/Used Building Materials Association (UBMA)
The UBMA is a non-profit, membership based organization that represents companies and organizations involved in the acquisition and/or redistribution of used building materials.
http://www.ubma.org/SoilTrader - Oregon
(For Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Projects in the greater Portland, Oregon Area)
An online trading network for clean construction spoils that might otherwise be disposed. The only restrictions are that the material is non-hazardous, 200 cubic yards or more for bulk material, and the material is one of the following: top soil, soil, gravel, concrete, asphalt, clearing debris, fencing.
http://www.cleanrivers-pdx.org/soiltrader/
Minimizing Material Surplus and Enhancing Durability
Advanced Framing Techniques - Optimum Value Engineering (OVE)
New construction techniques are focusing on eliminating waste to improve quality while actually lowering the price. OVE refers to framing techniques that reduce the amount of lumber used to build a home while maintaining the structural integrity of the building. Using OVE techniques results in lower material and labor costs and improved energy performance for the building.
http://www.nahbrc.org/Toolbase/pandt/tech/abstracts/designab1.htmlNatural Resources Defense Council Publications
"Efficient Wood Use in Residential Construction: A Practical Guide to Saving Wood, Money, and Forests". By Ann Edminster and Sami Yassa. 1998. (For purchase)
http://www.nrdc.org/cities/building/fwoodus.aspBetter Homes & Gardens
Use these calculators to estimate the amount of paint, drywall, wallpaper, lumber, or concrete needed for a project. Good material estimating means less waste at the end of the project.
http://www.bhglive.com/homeimp/calculators/index.htmlResidential-Designers.org - Material Calculators
Use these calculators to estimate the amount of tile, insulation, shingles, paint, drywall, wallpaper, lumber, and other materials needed for a project. Good material estimating means less waste at the end of the project.
http://www.residential-designers.org/calculators.htmProtocol for Durability Assessment of Building Products and Systems
Durability is "considered the capability of a building, assembly, component, product, element or construction system to maintain serviceability over time under specific conditions of use". This protocol, developed by National Evaluation Service, Inc., (NES) outlines a durability protocol for use by building technology innovators in planning for and performing durability and service-life assessments.
http://www.nateval.org/html/protocols/proto_durability.htmWood Durability - Solutions
This site offers best practices for maximizing wood durability from the design phase onward. Discusses issues such as choosing and specifying durable wood, maximizing decay resistance, termite control, moisture protection, and treatment.
http://www.durable-wood.com/wood_solutions/Wood Durability - UC Forest Products Laboratory
This site provides information on wood-based components and assemblies used in wood-framed buildings and structures and assemblies used in wood-framed buildings and structures. Discusses issues such as long-term performance, detailing, moisture protection, wood properties, causes and treatments for wood deterioration and more.
http://www.ucfpl.ucop.edu/ERWdDura.htm
Non-Traditional Materials for Residential Construction
Straw Bale Construction
http://www.buildinggreen.com/features/straw/straw.htmlStrawboard Panels
http://www.nahbrc.org/ToolBase/index.html
Search on "Strawboard"Building With Cob (Natural Earth)
http://www.forests.org/ric/good_wood/cob.htmPlastic Lumber
http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/plastic.htm
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© 1999, Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center
phone: 206-352-2050, e-mail: office@pprc.org, web: www.pprc.org