This article was written by Michael Hartzog with The Murray Company.
So What Makes Green Construction?
LEED Gold Certified – Tui Marine International Headquarters
The construction process can contribute significantly to achieving points in the LEED rating system. For the Tui Marine International Headquarters, the strategies used in the construction process were directly responsible for pursuing 14 points, which pushed the project total to 40 points and a LEED Gold certification. Let’s take a look at these LEED credits and the strategy used to achieve them.
“Construction Activity Pollution Prevention” – The LEED intent is to reduce pollution from construction activities by controlling soil erosion, waterway sedimentation and airborne dust generation. For this project, an erosion and sediment control plan was created and implemented to ensure compliance with the 2003 EPA Construction General Permit. The plan included providing a silt fence around the construction activities and providing filters around stormwater inlets.
“Fundamental Commissioning and Enhanced Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems” – The LEED intent is to verify that the building’s energy systems are installed, calibrated, and perform according to the owner’s project requirements, basis of design, and construction documents. For this project, a commissioning authority developed and implemented a commissioning plan for the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems. During construction, the plan was applied to review contractor submittals, verify installation, verify performance, develop a systems manual, and verify systems training.
“Construction Waste Management” – The LEED intent is to divert construction and demolition debris from disposal in landfills and incinerators and redirect reusable materials to appropriate sites. For this project, 83.9% of the construction debris was sent to a recycling location instead of a landfill. The recycled construction debris included concrete, asphalt, metal, wood, cardboard, plastic, aluminum cans, and paper. These materials were selected due to the availability of local recycling stations. For each material, a separate container was provided for collection and storage until full. The containers included 20-yard dumpsters, 2-yard dumpsters, and trash cans. All containers were identified with signage to help workers with placing waste in the correct recycling container. Once the containers were full, the appropriate recycling company was called to take the materials to the appropriate sites.
“Recycled Content” – The LEED intent is to increase demand for building products that incorporate recycled content materials, thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials. For this project, the materials used in the building contain a total of 15.0% post-consumer recycled content and 21.9% pre-consumer recycled content. These materials included concrete, rebar, structural steel, bar joists, metal deck, laminate, roof insulation, caulk, aluminum framing, hollow metal window frames, hollow metal door frames, wood doors, door hardware, glass, drywall, metal studs, wall insulation, sound insulation, ceiling grid, ceiling tile, carpet, floor tile, vinyl wall coverings, and toilet accessories.
“Regional Materials” – The LEED intent is to increase demand for building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation. For this project, 17.9% of the materials were manufactured and extracted within 500 miles of the site. These materials included concrete, drywall, and landscaping.
“Certified Wood” – The LEED intent is to encourage environmentally responsible forest management. For this project, 75.3% of the wood products used in the building are certified through the Forest Stewardship Council’s Principles and Criteria. These wood products included mirror frames and solid core wood doors.
“Construction Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management Plan” – The LEED intent is to reduce indoor air quality problems resulting from the construction process in order to help sustain the comfort and well-being of construction workers and building occupants. For this project, a Construction IAQ Management Plan was created and implemented during construction to improve the indoor air quality. The plan included using low-emitting materials, covering all HVAC openings with plastic, placing MERV 8 filters on return air openings, placing MERV 8 filters in HVAC units, using equipment to reduce airborne particulates, using equipment to reduce odors, and using dehumidifiers for moisture control. The plan also did not allow food, drinks, or smoking in the building. The plan paid off after construction – and immediately prior to occupancy – as a third party tested and confirmed the concentration levels were acceptable for formaldehyde, particulates (PM-10), total volatile organic compounds, and carbon monoxide.
“Low-Emitting Materials” – The LEED intent is to reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants. For this project, all adhesives, sealants, paints, and coatings used in the building met the requirements for VOC levels. All carpets met the requirements for the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus program. All composite wood and agrifiber products, such as particleboard, plywood, and door cores, used inside the building did not contain added urea-formaldehyde resins.
“LEED Accredited Professional” – The LEED intent is to support and encourage the design integration required by a LEED project and streamline the application and certification process. For this project, the project manager for the general contractor was a LEED Accredited Professional.
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