green building – Page 2 – Concrete Products

Auditor publishes revised Product Category Rule for Concrete

April 1, 2019 Concrete News

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; CP staff

Michigan-based certification authority NSF International has issued a new Product Category Rule (PCR) for Concrete, reflecting nearly two years of stakeholder-proposed updates to a charter 2013 version. The PCR is a set of industry rules to support development of environmental product declarations (EPD) for ready mixed and manufactured concrete. EPDs respond to calls for product transparency and disclosure from green building standards, market initiatives, and state laws.

NRMCA begins harnessing data to update Industry Wide-EPD

January 14, 2019 Concrete News

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; CP staff

NRMCA is updating the Industry-Wide Environmental Product Declaration to address evolving requirements producer members confront when project owners or design teams apply Life Cycle Assessment criteria or request EPD submittals, often in conjunction with LEED v4 green building certification.

Report tracks green building escalation among A/E/C pros, clients

November 28, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: Dodge Data & Analytics, New York; CP staff

A new report based on surveys of 2,000-plus architects, engineers, contractors, owners, consultants and real estate investors from 86 countries indicates significant international market growth for green construction projects in the last 10 years and demand for such building activity continuing to climb. Dodge Data & Analytics’ World Green Building Trends 2018 SmartMarket Report finds that green building principles will factor into more than 60 percent of survey participant projects by 2021.

2018 International Green Code: Adoption expedited, standardization eased

November 12, 2018 Concrete News

Source: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Green Building Council, International Code Council and ASHRAE have released the 2018 International Green Construction Code (2018-IgCC), citing its potential to help state or local governments streamline code development, adoption and enforcement, and improve industry standardization by integrating two previously separate guidance documents: ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES 189.1 – Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low Rise Residential Buildings and the ICC International Green Construction Code.

Survey: Employees on board with LEED-certified work environments

October 22, 2018 Concrete News

Sources: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Employees who work in (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) LEED-certified green buildings are happier, healthier and more productive than employees in conventional and non-LEED buildings, according to a U.S. Green Building Council-commissioned survey of 1,000 full- or part-time workers, plus others self-employed but based in an office building setting.

Greenbuild 2017: Materials selection, carbon emissions reduction, Boston backdrop

June 26, 2017 Concrete News

Source: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.

The annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo will take place November 8-10 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Informa Exhibitions anticipates 25,000 attendees from the commercial and residential professional, architect, building owner and operator, student and educator ranks.

Technology underpins green building, community performance measurements

December 5, 2016 Concrete News

Sources: Green Building Certification Inc., Washington, D.C.; CP staff

A new technology company will host a digital platform allowing any project or property expanse—from individual building to entire community or city—to measure improvements aligned with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system, and benchmark against itself and neighboring certified projects or property groupings. Arc Skoru Inc. will support goals of LEED-administering Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) and parent U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Founding U.S. Green Building Council chief passes torch

November 21, 2016 Concrete News

Sources: U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Washington, D.C.; CP staff

The U.S. Green Building Council has completed a leadership transition with Mahesh Ramanujam succeeding President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continually develop and enhance USGBC’s capabilities and performance to ensure we deliver the future our founders envisioned—transforming the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated so they enable a healthy and prosperous environment,” says Ramanujam, who continues as president of the Council’s LEED rating system administrator, Green Building Certification Inc. “Our work has had a tremendous impact on millions of people. USGBC is not just about buildings. It is about bold leadership to create business and community transformation while driving sustainability for all.”

Martin Marietta inaugurates NRMCA system level Environmental Product Declaration

November 15, 2016 Concrete News

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; CP staff

Martin Marietta Materials is the first producer member to use NRMCA’s new system level Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) verification program, oriented to transparency credits in LEED v4 and other green building standards. The program meets strict international standards, but streamlines EPD verification: Rather than a fixed set of product-specific EPD, it verifies the software used to generate a concrete mix’s environmental impacts. Hence, producers can tender new product-specific EPD as needed for each project.

“Material Human Hazard and Exposure Assessment” premiers as LEED pilot credit

May 25, 2016 Concrete News

Sources: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

A pilot credit joining the LEED v4 green building rating system encourages project teams and manufacturers or suppliers to assess human health related exposure scenarios for products or materials during their installation/placement and use phases.