This presentation contributes to the discourse on sustainability that is driving ongoing improvement in the way buildings are designed and constructed. Specifically, it focuses on the growing trends of wood use as a low environmental-impact building material and the effect green building rating systems have on design choices.
Basically,Given PPT covers all the major topics related to "Green Building Concept". Table of Contents are:-
1. Introduction
2.Objectives
3.Fundamental Principles
4.Indian Green Building Council
5.Benefits of Green Buildings
6.Conclusions
Green architecture, or green design, is an approach to building that minimizes harmful effects on human health and the environment.
The "green" architect or designer attempts to safeguard air, water, and earth by choosing eco-friendly building materials and construction practices.
Basically,Given PPT covers all the major topics related to "Green Building Concept". Table of Contents are:-
1. Introduction
2.Objectives
3.Fundamental Principles
4.Indian Green Building Council
5.Benefits of Green Buildings
6.Conclusions
Green architecture, or green design, is an approach to building that minimizes harmful effects on human health and the environment.
The "green" architect or designer attempts to safeguard air, water, and earth by choosing eco-friendly building materials and construction practices.
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
SUSTAINABLE: Ecological and economical way of living to make human kind healthy and happy
�ARCHITECTURE :The art and science of making buildings.
Includes technology as well as aesthetics
�
Green Building Envelopes 101 was given as a 2 hour presentation at the National Building Envelope Council Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba in May 2011.
Sustainable Architecture is an effort to minimize the negative environmental impact of the buildings by using specific materials, energy and development space through strict moderation and efficiency
Green buildings are Eco-friendly, resource efficient and are very energy efficient. They are more comfortable and easier to live with due to low operating and owning costs.
This presentation consists of brief introduction about green buildings, their design and benefits.
Best Regards:
Engr. Muhammad Ali Rehman
Sustainable Development in ArchitectureGargi Bhatele
The beginning of the presentation explains what is sustainable architecture, followed by case studies on examples of buildings built using sustainable architecture techniques. Buildings included in the presentation are, Oasia Hotel Singapore, ITC Maurya Hotel New Delhi, and Dixin Water Foundation Texas.
Wood in Buildings: Steps to Durability and LongevityThink Wood
Architects specify wood in their building designs for many reasons, including: cost, availability, ease of construction, thermal performance, aesthetics and design versatility. Research and new product development have only added to the versatility of building with wood. This presentation reviews how to use wood to its full potential. It discusses wood’s advantages in durability and longevity, while explaining issues of quality control for wood construction and the architect’s role in promoting such control. Finally, this explains how to maintain wood buildings and maximize performance.
Find out how wood construction can contribute to a sustainable building. Using scientifically based life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, this session demonstrates why wood products are better for the environment than other materials in terms of indicators such as global warming potential and resource depletion. LCA is becoming the world standard for evaluating the sustainability of materials and assemblies and improving environmentally based decision-making. See why wood from well-managed forests and plantations is a good choice when it comes to climate change.
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
SUSTAINABLE: Ecological and economical way of living to make human kind healthy and happy
�ARCHITECTURE :The art and science of making buildings.
Includes technology as well as aesthetics
�
Green Building Envelopes 101 was given as a 2 hour presentation at the National Building Envelope Council Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba in May 2011.
Sustainable Architecture is an effort to minimize the negative environmental impact of the buildings by using specific materials, energy and development space through strict moderation and efficiency
Green buildings are Eco-friendly, resource efficient and are very energy efficient. They are more comfortable and easier to live with due to low operating and owning costs.
This presentation consists of brief introduction about green buildings, their design and benefits.
Best Regards:
Engr. Muhammad Ali Rehman
Sustainable Development in ArchitectureGargi Bhatele
The beginning of the presentation explains what is sustainable architecture, followed by case studies on examples of buildings built using sustainable architecture techniques. Buildings included in the presentation are, Oasia Hotel Singapore, ITC Maurya Hotel New Delhi, and Dixin Water Foundation Texas.
Wood in Buildings: Steps to Durability and LongevityThink Wood
Architects specify wood in their building designs for many reasons, including: cost, availability, ease of construction, thermal performance, aesthetics and design versatility. Research and new product development have only added to the versatility of building with wood. This presentation reviews how to use wood to its full potential. It discusses wood’s advantages in durability and longevity, while explaining issues of quality control for wood construction and the architect’s role in promoting such control. Finally, this explains how to maintain wood buildings and maximize performance.
Find out how wood construction can contribute to a sustainable building. Using scientifically based life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, this session demonstrates why wood products are better for the environment than other materials in terms of indicators such as global warming potential and resource depletion. LCA is becoming the world standard for evaluating the sustainability of materials and assemblies and improving environmentally based decision-making. See why wood from well-managed forests and plantations is a good choice when it comes to climate change.
Economic evaluation and comparison between green building and conventional bu...Manthan Shah
This is a presentation on my own Project report from BE.
It is about the economic compression between green house and a conventional house.
it might be useful for Environmental engineering students or any one interested in he subject
This presentation is a basic introduction to the concepts underlying carbon neutral design. It looks at a LEED Platinum building that is also a carbon neutral building for some ideas as to how to achieve this goal.
David Moses of Moses Structural Engineers showcases the latest innovations of building design using cross-laminated timber panels. CLTs are allowing new applications for wood design including multi-storey structural elements, with the benefit of faster build times, less waste, and sequestered carbon.
Wood flooring is used extensively in homes and offices. It is ideal for both structural and aesthetic flooring. This flooring is considered environment friendly and is also known for its durability.
Rethinking Wood as a Material of Choice – Costs less, Delivers moreThink Wood
Designers today are finding new possibilities in one of the oldest building materials on earth, wood. The building material has always been valued for its beauty, abundance and practicality, but many of wood’s inherent characteristics are rising to very current challenges. Wood’s traditional values and newest technologies meet in the projects presented in this course, illustrating the advantages of wood in four areas: cost-effectiveness in a wide range of projects; adaptability for use in challenging, visionary new designs; lower environmental costs throughout its life cycle, from its source in renewable, carefully managed forests, through an energy-efficient service life, and often on to a new, recycled and reimagined use; and a unique human-nature connection that has always been intuitive, but is now being documented in research.
LEED for Commercial Interiors
LEED for Commercial Interiors is the green benchmark for the tenant improvement market.
LEED for Commercial Interiors is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green tenant spaces that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint. It gives tenants and designers, who do not always have control over whole building operations, the power to make sustainable choices. Making these choices during tenant improvements and interior renovations can dramatically affect the indoor environment.
This rating system was developed specifically for tenants in commercial and institutional buildings who lease their space or don’t occupy the entire building.
LEED for Commercial Interiors was designed to work hand-in-hand with the LEED for Core & Shell rating system, used by developers to certify the core and shell of a project and prepare the building for environmentally conscious tenants.
Global Alternative Compliance Paths are available for this rating system.
Links:-
LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors Rating System
LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors Checklist
Wood Products and Green Building: Rating Systems Recognizing Wood’s Environme...Think Wood
With growing pressure to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment, building designers are increasingly being called upon to balance functionality and cost objectives with reduced environmental impact. Wood can help to achieve that balance. This presentation reviews how wood contributes to credits under the various green building rating systems, In addition, it reviews the importance of life cycle assessment and how it can be used when evaluating the environmental performance of buildings at the design stage.
Earn 1.00 HSW credit and 1 GBCI CE hour for LEED Credential Maintenance, visit: http://owl.li/yp66X
Materials Matter - Construction Materials and their Environmental CostsThink Wood
This presentation will show how the life cycle assessment makes it easier for architects to incorporate environmental considerations into their building material selection. It will discuss the life cycle impacts of wood, concrete and steel and demonstrate that over its life cycle, wood is better for the environment than steel or concrete in terms of embodied energy, air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, this presentation will highlight the advances each industry is making toward sustainability.
Green building refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition
Cost-effective, code-compliant and sustainable, mid-rise wood construction is gaining the attention of design professionals nationwide, who see it as a way to achieve higher density housing at lower cost—while reducing the carbon footprint of their projects. Yet, many familiar with wood construction for two- to four-story residential structures are not aware that the International Building Code (IBC) allows wood-frame construction for five stories and more in building occupancies that range from business and mercantile to multi-family, military, senior, student and affordable housing. This presentation reviews the benefits of multi-story wood construction, the code requirements and discusses the design techniques used in multi-story wood construction.
New Union South Sustainability 6.1.2009shaynahetzel
It's an exciting time to be a part of the Wisconsin Union, as an organization. We just celebrated our 100th anniversary last year and as we begin our next century of service, we look to the future for our buildings and programs.
Sustainability is a buzz word in today’s society. There are lots of definitions of what it is and what it means. Here’s a definition from the EPA: sustainability is: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
These are our initiatives to green building and sustainable practices.
This presentation is a 3-hour training to provide information on health and safety concerns in building materials, with a particular focus on high performance and net zero energy strategies. We identify some of the major hazards found in the built environment and how to research safer alternatives to maximize energy efficiency and to protect human health.
Presented on October 24, 2014 for Build It Green in Oakland, California by Cate Leger, Principal, Leger Wanaselja Architecture, and Melanie Loftus, Healthy Materials Consultant.
This manuscript will introduce a set of analysis established for the sake of design
changes of a customary swimming pool and leisure facility. The classification of
design changes are manipulated by The Green Guide for Specifications and BREEAM in terms of materials used in construction.
56
مبادرة
#تواصل_تطوير
المحاضرة السادسة والخمسون من المبادرة مع
الاستاذ الدكتور / طارق عطية
استاذ إدارة المشروعات
بعنوان
"Green Buildings !
How much it would cost ?"
التاسعة مساء توقيت مكة المكرمة الإثنين14سبتمبر2020
وذلك عبر تطبيق زووم من خلال الرابط
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqf-qhqjgrGNJ9mRrleSMkLSOacFIF5tqg
علما ان هناك بث مباشر للمحاضرة على وقناة يوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/user/EEAchannal
للتواصل مع إدارة المبادرة عبر قناة تيليجرام
الرابط
https://t.me/EEAKSA
رابط اللينكدان والمكتبة الالكترونية
www.linkedin.com/company/eeaksa-egyptian-engineers-association/
رابط التسجيل العام للمحاضرات
https://forms.gle/vVmw7L187tiATRPw9
Modern Building Codes: Keeping Pace with the Wood RevolutionThink Wood
There is a quiet revolution
taking place within the design
community. After a long
emphasis on concrete and steel for
buildings other than homes, design
professionals are using wood to great
effect in a growing number of nonresidential
and multi-family building
types—in applications that range
from traditional to innovative, even
iconic. Some are driven by wood’s
cost effectiveness, while others cite
its versatility or low carbon footprint,
but their collective path has been
made possible by building codes that
increasingly recognize wood’s structural
and performance capabilities, and the
continued evolution of wood building
systems and techniques.
Think Wood - Looking Up: Tall Wood Buildings Around the World InfographicThink Wood
17 Tall Wood Buildings (7 stories or taller) have been built in the last 5 years and counting. Here are a few of the recent tall wood buildings constructed in the pas 5 years.
For more tall wood building information, please visit: https://www.thinkwood.com/
Think Wood - Taller Wood Buildings are Possible and Happening InfographicThink Wood
Taller wood projects are a reality, with more developers and architects opting for mass timber as a sustainable solution to attain safe, cost-effective, high-performing buildings in urban-dense settings.
To find out more, visit: https://www.thinkwood.com/
Survey of international tall wood buildings 2015 re think wood presentationThink Wood
Over the past several years, a number of tall wood projects have been completed around the world, demonstrating successful applications of new wood and mass timber technologies. This Summary Report of the Survey of International Tall Wood Buildings takes a look at ten international tall wood buildings, and presents some common lessons learned from the experiences of various stakeholders, including the Developer/Owner, Design Team, Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), and Construction Team for each project.
Survey Appendices outline in-depth the lessons learned about the ten tall wood buildings covered in the survey. If you would like to receive the Survey Appendices, please visit: https://www.thinkwood.com/
Wood Scores A+ for Schools & Student HousingThink Wood
In educational facilities architects are called upon to achieve a wide range of objectives with limited budgets. An increasing number of designers are turning to wood-frame construction as a reasonable solution, it typically costs less while meeting all code and safety requirements. In addition, wood-frame construction offers advantages such as speed of construction, design versatility, and a light carbon footprint.
Materials in Action - Examining the Impacts of Building Materials Think Wood
When an architect specifies a building material, that choice casts a long shadow. While most of the environmental effects from materials occur during the extraction and production phases, they continue to influence a structures' environmental footprint long afterwards, throughout the operations phase and beyond. This presentation evaluates the environmental impact of building materials wood, concrete and steel.
We all have good and bad thoughts from time to time and situation to situation. We are bombarded daily with spiraling thoughts(both negative and positive) creating all-consuming feel , making us difficult to manage with associated suffering. Good thoughts are like our Mob Signal (Positive thought) amidst noise(negative thought) in the atmosphere. Negative thoughts like noise outweigh positive thoughts. These thoughts often create unwanted confusion, trouble, stress and frustration in our mind as well as chaos in our physical world. Negative thoughts are also known as “distorted thinking”.
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
The Art Pastor's Guide to Sabbath | Steve ThomasonSteve Thomason
What is the purpose of the Sabbath Law in the Torah. It is interesting to compare how the context of the law shifts from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Who gets to rest, and why?
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
4. Learning Objectives
Describe accepted definitions of
sustainability.
Discuss ways in which wood
contributes to sustainable
design.
Explain the trends behind the
increased use of wood as an
environmentally sound building
material.
Evaluate the impact of building
rating systems and codes on
environmentally sound design.
5. Table of Contents
Section 1
True
Sustainability
Section 2
Wood and the
Environment
Section 3
Wood and Social
Goals
Section 4
Wood and
Economic
Considerations
Section 5
Codes & Green
Rating Systems
7. Sustainable Development
“Development that meets
the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.”
-- Brundtland Commission, 1987
United Nations
8. Sustainable Building
Up 50% from 2008-2010, from $42
billion to
$71 billion
Accounted for 25% of new
construction in 2010
Estimated to reach
$135 billion by 2015
Green Outlook 2011: Green Trends Driving Growth
McGraw-Hill Construction
Blackfeet Community College
Montana
Architect: Gordon Whirry
LEED Platinum
Photo courtesy of Gordon Whirry
9. Elements of Sustainable Design
Sitting and structural
design
Energy efficiency
Materials efficiency
Indoor air quality
Operations and
maintenance
Waste reduction
Photo: Jeremy Bitterman, courtesy EHDD
David & Lucile Packard Foundation
California
Architect: EHDD
LEED Gold and Net Zero Energy
11. Wood and the Environment
University of Washington West Campus Student
Housing – Phase 1
Washington
Architect: Mahlum
Photo: naturallywood.com; Photo: Benjamin Benschneider
12. Life Cycle Assessment
Allows comparison of alternate building designs based on their
estimated environmental impacts
Promotes informed decision-making
13. LCA Studies
Wood is better for the environment in terms of air pollution, embodied
energy, greenhouse gases and water pollution.
Source: Data compiled
by the Canadian Wood
Council using the
ATHENA EcoCalculator
with a data set for
Toronto, Canada
14. Comparing Wall Assemblies
Source: CORRIM
Minneapolis House Wood Frame Steel Frame Difference
Steel vs.
Wood
(% change)
Embodied energy (GJ) 250 296 46 18%
Global warming potential (CO2 kg) 13,009 17,262 4,253 33%
Air emission index (index scale) 3,820 4.222 402 11%
Water emission index (index scale) 3 29 26 867%
Solid waste (total kg) 3,496 3,181 -315 -9%
Atlanta House Wood Frame Steel Frame Difference
Steel vs.
Wood
(% change)
Embodied energy (GJ) 168 231 63 38%
Global warming potential (CO2 kg) 8,345 14,982 6,637 80%
Air emission index (index scale) 2,313 3,372 1,060 46%
Water emission index (index scale) 2 2 0 0%
Solid waste (total kg) 2,325 6,152 3,827 164%
15. The U.S. Forest Service
is now:
Preferentially
selecting wood in new
building construction
Actively looking for
ways to demonstrate
innovative uses of
wood using green
building rating
systems
Herrington Recovery Center
Wisconsin
Architect: TWP Architecture
LEED Gold
Shaping
Government Policy
Photo: Curtis Waltz
17. Making Informed Material Choices
Replacing steel floor
joists with engineered
wood joists reduces
the carbon footprint
of the joists by nearly
10 tons of carbon
dioxide for every ton
of wood used
Photo: APA
19. North American Forests
50 years of forest
growth that exceeds
harvest
More certified forests
than anywhere else in
the world
As of August 2013
Sources: www.pefc.org, www.fscus.org, www.fsccanada.org,
www.fsc.org, www.certificationcanada.org, www.mtc.com.my
20. Sustainable Forest Certification
Verifies that a forest
meets the requirements
of the certification
standard
Two international
umbrella organizations –
FSC and PEFC
More than 50 certification
standards
worldwide
21. End of Life Issues
What happens to a material at
the end of its useful service life?
Photos: Dreamstime stock photos
22. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse
Once considered waste, sawdust from lumber
manufacturing is now used to make composite
products or as a renewable energy source.
Photo: naturallywood.com
23. Design for Deconstruction
Increasingly, wood from buildings is being
reclaimed and reused.
Photos: Dreamstime stock photos
25. Carby Chapel Center
Texas
Architect: Roesler Associates, Inc./Architects
Michael Ortega Architectural Photography
Wood and Social Goals
26. Michael Smith Laboratory, University of British
Columbia
British Columbia
Architect: IBI Group/Henriquez Partners Architects
Photo: naturallywood.com
27. Study: Wood and Health
Herrington Recovery Center
Wisconsin
Architect: TWP Architecture
Photo: Curtis Waltz
28. Wood in Schools
Rosa Parks Elementary School
Washington
Architect: Mahlum Architects
Photo: Benjamin Benschneider
30. Wood Costs Less
Photo: APA
Lower material costs
Faster construction
Reduced foundation
Availability of skilled tradespeople
Photo: VanDorpe Chou Associates
31. El Dorado High School
Arkansas
Architect: CADM Architecture
High School Saved $2.7 Million
Photos: W.I. Bell (under construction); Dennis Ivy
32. Direct and Indirect Jobs
U.S. – 900,000
American Wood Council
Canada – 600,000
Forest Products Association
of Canada
Worldwide –
1.6 billion
World Bank
Photos: naturallywood.com
34. Codes and Green Rating Systems
California Green Building Standards
Code (CALGreen)
First U.S. code to incorporate life cycle
assessment
ASHRAE 189.1
Sets minimum green building
requirements
First code-intended standard for high-performance
buildings in the U.S.
International Green Construction Code
Released in 2012, being adopted on a
voluntary basis
35. Recognizing Wood’s Value
Carbon benefits of El Dorado High School
Estimated using the Carbon Calculator, available at
woodworks.org
Grows naturally,
renewable
Low embodied energy
Less air/water pollution
Light carbon footprint
Adaptable / reusable /
recyclable
36. LEED
Green Globes
Built Green
NAHB Model Green
Home Building
Guidelines
Photo: Anne Garrison
Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science,
Society and the Environment
California
Architect: Safdie Rabines Architects
LEED Silver
Green Rating Systems
in North America
37. Green Rating Systems
in North America
Living Building
Challenge
SB Tool
Bullitt Center
Washington
Architect: The Miller Hull Partnership
Living Building Challenge 2.0
Photo: John Stamets
38. International Green Rating Systems
Lancaster Institute of Contemporary Arts
United Kingdom
Architect: Sheppard Robson
BREEAM Outstanding
Photo: Sheppard Robson
39. Rating Systems and Wood
Wood’s most significant ecological benefits—that it
is the only carbon-neutral construction material
and that it can significantly reduce a building’s life
cycle impacts—are largely unrecognized by the
most commonly used rating systems.
-- Light House Sustainable Building Centre
“
“
40. Passive House Standard
Austria House
British Columbia
Architect: Treberspurg & Partner Architekten
Photo: Ira Nicolai
Focuses solely on
reducing energy
consumption
42. THANK YOU!
For more information on building with wood, visit
rethinkwood.com
Editor's Notes
The design community has for many years sought to create buildings that are energy efficient, better for the environment and healthier for occupants. This has been the driving force behind the modern green building movement, but actually goes back to the energy crisis of the 1970s—when (Part 1 of a 3 sharply rising oil prices provided all the part incentive people needed to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Materials Matter series) Construction Materials and Environmental Costs Today, concern about the effects of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has given the movement a reinvigorated sense of urgency … and expanded the focus to include, not only energy use, but the resulting carbon impacts of buildings.
“Materials Matter” CEU Series Overview Materials Matter (Part 1) Materials in Action (Part 2) This presentation is part one in a three-part series, based on a CEU, Materials Matter, first published in Architectural Record in 2011. Some of the statistics have been updated based on new information. • “Materials Matter” (Part 1 of 3) documents the environmental footprint of wood, concrete, and steel. • “Materials in Action” (Part 2 of 3) covers their performance during construction, operation and end-of-life, reaffirming that in the quest for carbon-neutral buildings, materials do matter. • “A Natural Choice” (Part 3 of 3) covers how these materials factor into green design and high-performance buildings as well as how green design projects are currently defined. This presentation will address the overt differences between three common materials—wood, steel and concrete—and their life cycle environmental impacts. These materials will also be discussed in terms of responsible procurement, sustainability and community issues. A Natural Choice (Part 3)
reThink Wood sponsors this program provided by McGraw-Hill Publishers. As an AIA- and GBCI-approved program, the information presented is not intended to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA or GBCI of any product, material, or method of construction. Credit earned upon completion of this program will be reported to AIA for AIA members. Certificates of completion are available for self-reporting and record-keeping needs. Questions related to the information presented should be directed to reThinkWood via email – info@rethinkwood.com - upon completion of this program.
This program is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Reuse of any portion of this program without written consent from reThink Wood is prohibited.
More specifically, this presentation will show how life cycle assessment is making it easier for designers to incorporate environmental considerations into their decision making. It will demonstrate that, when viewed over its life cycle, wood is better for the environment than steel or concrete in terms of embodied energy, air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. And it will highlight other benefits of wood such as recyclability and renewability, a light carbon footprint, third-party certification and chain of custody.
There are 6 sections to this presentation:Section 1: Materials MatterSection 2: Life Cycle Assessment - A Scientific Way to Calculate Environmental ImpactsSection 3: ManufacturingSection 4: TransportationSection 5: Renewable Versus RecyclableSection 6: Responsible Procurement
Every design and building professional knows the building sector has a significant impact on the environment, but it may surprise you to know the extent.For example, the building industry uses more than 3 billion tons of materials a year worldwide, and accounts for 40 percent of the world’s raw materials. Buildings also consume 30-40 percent of the world’s energy. Clearly there is a need—and an opportunity—to construct buildings in a way that reduces their environmental impact.Sources:Bullets 1 and 2 – D.M. Roodman and N. Lenssen, A Building Revolution: How Ecology and Health Concerns are Transforming Construction, p. 5., Worldwatch Paper 124, Worldwatch Institute, Washington, D.C., March 1995 http://www.worldwatch.org/node/866Bullet 3 – Buildings and climate change: Status, challenges and opportunities, p.4-7, United Nations Environment Programme, 2007. http://www.unep.org/sbci/pdfs/BuildingsandClimateChange.pdf
Faced with these realities, the architecture and construction industries have been making significant efforts to lighten the environmental footprint of tomorrow's structures. This goal is particularly pressing in light of the fact that 1.6 billion square feet are added each year in the commercial building sector alone. That's nearly 110,000 buildings annually at the mean size of 14,700 square feet or roughly half a million buildings every five years.Source: Energy Efficiency Trends in Residential and Commercial Buildings, US Department of Energy, 2008Photo: Magnus L3D Wikipedia
Until now, the main focus of building green has been operational energy efficiency— and considerable strides have been made both in terms of improving the building envelope and otherwise reducing energy consumption. So much so that designers are now looking beyond operational energy to the embodied and end-of-life impacts of their building materials. Building green includes embodied, operational and end-of-life impacts. Most material choices ignore impacts of manufacture, maintenance and disposal. Environmental costs of production are not fully acknowledged.
The information we’re looking for has layers and layers of complexity. In the past, the green building movement has taken a prescriptive approach to choosing building materials. This approach assumes that certain “prescribed” practices are better for the environment regardless of their manufacturing process or disposal issues. One example is recycled content: most green building rating systems reward steel with recycled content over wood products that, not only require far less energy to produce, but result in considerably less greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and water pollution. Locally produced materials are another example. In most green building rating systems, materials produced within 500 miles of the job site are rewarded regardless of their manufacturing process or end-of-life disposal.The prescriptive approach is overly simplistic and can lead designers to incorrect assumptions … which is why, increasingly, it is being replaced by the scientific evaluation of estimatedimpacts through life cycle assessment, or LCA.
LCA is an internationallyrecognized method for evaluating the environmental impacts of products, materials, assemblies or even whole buildings over their entire lives.Defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), it is an objective way of quantifying and interpreting the energy and material flows to and from the environment. The analysis includes emissions to air, water and land, as well as the consumption of energy and material resources.
In a building context, LCA considers a full range of impacts from the extraction or harvest of raw materials through manufacturing, transportation, installation, use, maintenance and disposal or recycling.Internationally, the United Nations Environment Programme has been promoting LCA for more than a decade. It is more common in Europe than North America, but its use is increasing in both markets because of its holistic approach and power as an evaluative tool.
Because calculating life cycle impacts is complex and time consuming, tools exist to help architects judge the environmental merits of various materials and building assemblies. In North America, the Athena Impact Estimator is the only software tool designed to evaluate whole buildings and assemblies based on internationally recognized LCA methodology. Developed by the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute, it allows building designers and others to easily assess and compare the environmental implications of industrial, institutional, commercial and residential designs—both for new buildings and major renovations. The impact estimator is available as a free download.BEESis a free, U.S.-based tool for product-to-product comparisons. It was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and results are based on proprietary, unpublished data.Envestis a UK-based, LCA-based building design tool. It addresses only the whole building and provides results in highly summarized “ecopoints.”The Forest Industry Carbon Assessment Tool (FICAT) calculates carbon footprints of the effects of forest-based manufacturing activities on carbon and greenhouse gases along the value chain. It’s a joint venture of the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement and the International Finance Corporation and is available as a free download.Just as there are different LCA tools for building professionals, there are different tools intended for use by LCA practitioners. GaBi is a tool from Germany, comprised of primarily European data.SimaPro is a tool from the Netherlands. It includes a comprehensive suite of databases for building materials applicable to the United States, Japan and various European countries.United States, Japan and various European countries.
LCA studies consistently demonstrate wood’s environmental advantages over steel and concrete when it comes to embodied energy, air and water pollution, global warming potential and other environmental impact indicators.1In this graph, three hypothetical homes (wood, steel and concrete) of identical size and configuration are compared. Assessment results are summarized into six key measures during the first 20 years of operating these homes. The wood home outperformed the others in terms of air pollution, embodied energy, global warming potential (or greenhouse gases) and water pollution. It performed comparably to steel and better than concrete in terms of solid waste and resource use.Source: Data compiled by the Canadian Wood Council using the ATHENA EcoCalculator with a data set for Toronto, Canada, 2004; Green Building with Wood Toolkit, LCA, http://www.naturallywood.com/architectstoolkit/#/inspire/pdf/201Werner, F. and Richter, K. 2007. Wooden building products in comparative LCA: A literature review. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 12(7): 470-479.
A landmark study conducted by the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) also compared wood-frame and concrete homes in the hot climate of Atlanta and wood and steel-frame homes in the cold climate of Minneapolis—the framing types most common to each city.Among other things, the global warming potential of the steel and concrete homes were 26 and 31 percent higher, respectively, than the wood-frame homes.This chart focuses on the wall assemblies only and shows that the steel and concrete assemblies had 80 percent and 38 percent higher global warming potential than the wood assembly.Source:Life Cycle Environmental Performance of Renewable Building Materials in the Context of Residential Construction – Phase I, 2005 - http://www.corrim.org/pubs/reports/2005/swst/3.pdf
The building sector consumes more energy than any other sector. Most of this energy is produced from burning fossil fuels, making this sector the largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet. Many people believe we are heading toward irreversible climate change and, as a result, are placing an increasing emphasis on reducing the carbon footprint of buildings.Architect Michael Green believes that, to reduce carbon footprint, we need to consider the impacts associated with different building materials and choose wisely.The building pictured here is the Prince George Airport, an expansion of which was designed by Mr. Green’s architectural firm, Michael Green Architecture. Glulam and glass were used to create a design that’s architecturally stunning while integrating new and existing parts of the building.
The manufacturing of materials requires the greatest amount of energy in the entire construction process. When it comes to material selection and carbon, embodied energy is a key part of the equation. How much energy does it take to extract, process, manufacture, transport, construct and maintain a material or product—and what is the impact of that energy in terms of greenhouse gas emissions? When the construction process is viewed as a whole, the manufacturing of materials is the most energy intensive. Photos (in order): dreamstime (stock), dreamstime, naturallywood.com
From an energy perspective, an advantage of wood is that it’s produced naturally. Compared to steel and concrete, wood products don’t need much processing, so the manufacturing phase requires far less energy and results in far less carbon dioxide emissions. This has been demonstrated time and time again in LCA studies.Another advantage is that more than half the energy that is required to produce wood products comes in the form of renewable biomass. It’s common for companies to have cogeneration facilities, also known as combined heat and power, which convert sawdust, bark and other residual fiber to electrical and thermal energy. The electricity is used to power equipment.Photos: naturallywood.comSources:Bullet 2 – Synthesis of Research on Wood Products and Greenhouse Gas Impacts, Sarthre, R. and J. O’Connor, 2010, FPInnovations; Wooden building products in comparative LCA: A literature review, Werner, F. and Richter, K., 2007, International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 12(7): 470-479Bullet 3 –AF&PAEnvironmental, Health & Safety Verification Program – Biennial Report and Improve Energy Efficiency fact sheet, 2012;The State of Canada's Forests Report – 2012
A mill for producing lumber is relatively straightforward. Once the bark is removed, logs are sawn and trimmed to precise lengths, dried, and then planed, grade-stamped and packaged.
In addition to LCA, another environmental aspect to consider is the fact that trees and forest products can help to minimize our carbon footprint over the long term.In terms of wood’s positive impact on a building’s carbon footprint, there are several elements to consider:1) As trees grow, they clean the air we breathe by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing the carbon in their wood, roots, leaves or needles, and surrounding soil, and releasing the oxygen back into the atmosphere. Young, vigorously growing trees absorb the most carbon dioxide, with the rate slowing as they reach maturity. 2) When trees start to decay, or when forests succumb to wildfire, insects or disease, the stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere. However, when trees are harvested and manufactured into forest products, the products continue to store much of the carbon. In the case of wood buildings, this carbon is kept out of the atmosphere for the lifetime of the structure—or longer if the wood is reclaimed and manufactured into other products. 3) In any of these cases, the carbon cycle begins again as the forest is regenerated, either naturally or by planting, and young seedlings once again begin absorbing carbon. 4) Manufacturing wood into products requires far less energy than other materials—and very little fossil fuel energy. Most of the energy that is used comes from converting residual bark and sawdust to electrical and thermal energy, adding to wood’s light carbon footprint. Photos: naturallywood.com (top), W.G. Clark Construction/Mahlum (bottom)Source for Bullet 2: FPInnovations
Increasing emphasis on carbon footprint is one of the reasons wood buildings are getting taller—along with wood’s safety and performance record and innovative new products such as cross laminated timber, or CLT, which offer exceptional strength and dimensional stability.The Forté in Melbourne, Australia includes 10 stories of CLT and, at the time of construction, was the world’s tallest modern wood building. Designing the structure in wood allowed the developer to create “as close to a net zero carbon building as possible.” Between the carbon sequestered in the wood itself and the greenhouse gas emissions avoided by not using steel or concrete, Lend Lease estimates that Forté kept approximately 1,450 metric tons of carbon dioxide (equivalent) out of the atmosphere.In the UK, eight-story Bridport House is the first high-rise in the UK built entirely in CLT, including the ground floor. According to calculations by Stora Enso, each of the 41 apartment units contain 30-40 cubic metres of timber (approximately1,000-1,400 cubic feet), which is equivalent to more than 30 metric tonnes (33 tons) of carbon dioxide. (Source: Stora Enso)Likewise, a company in Austria has developed a hybrid, wood-based building system for what it calls Life-Cycle Towers, which can be up to 30 storieshigh and reduce the building’s carbon footprint by 90 percent compared to typical structures. (More information: http://www.creebyrhomberg.com/files/CREE_Standard_english.pdf )In British Columbia reducing carbon footprint was one of the reasons the building code was changed to increase the number of permitted stories in residential wood buildings from four to six.
The process to manufacture steel on the other hand is fossil fuel-intensive. Iron smelted from ore contains more carbon than is desirable. To become steel, the iron must be melted at extremely high temperatures and reprocessed to reduce the carbon and to remove silica, phosphorous and sulfur, which weaken steel Energy intensive Iron ore is extracted through open pit mining and heated to extremely high temperatures using fossil fuel energy, usually charcoal or coke. Manufacturing involves reducing carbon in the iron, which also results in CO2 emissions. Sources:Photo: Trinec Iron and Steel Works (Trineckézelezárny)
Most modern steel plants use a basic oxygen furnace in which high-purity oxygen blows through the molten pig iron, lowering carbon levels and those of other impurities. Alloys are added at this time to create the desired properties of the steel product. Liquid steel is then cooled as bars or rods and later rolled and flattened into sheets.Source: World Coal Association, www.worldcoal.org
Typically, a concrete mix is about 10 to 15 percent cement,1 though the amountchanges based on required strength and flexibility. While most of concrete’s ingredients are manufactured products themselves or mined materials, it’s the cement that has the highest embodied energy. Source: 1Portland Cement AssociationPhoto: dreamstime (stock) – no commercial use permitted
The major ingredient needed for cement is limestone. In most cases, limestone is blasted from surface mines and removed in large blocks to a crusher where it’s mixed with other raw materials. From there, it’s transferred to a rotating furnace and heated to about 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit, powered by coal or natural gas, in order for the materials to coalesce. The mixture is cooled and ground to fine gray powder (cement), which is then transported to its destination by truck, rail or ship. To reduce the carbon footprint of the end product, fly ash, volcanic ash or magnesium oxide are sometimes substituted for a portion of the cement. However, cement manufacturing is still a carbon-intensive endeavour. In Canada, for example, producing one metric tonne of cement (1.1 tons) results in the emission of approximately one metric tonne (1.1 tons) of carbon dioxide and cement manufacturing accounts for 5 percent of anthropogenicglobal carbon dioxide emissions.Sourcesof data: EcoSmart Concrete: www.ecosmart.ca; SOS: An Optimization System for the Sustainable Use of Supplementary Cementing Materials in Concrete, 2006, http://www.ecosmart.ca/Docs/SOS-CSCEPaper.pdf; International Energy Agency, Technology Roadmap – Cement, http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/name,3861,en.html
As the movement to carbon-neutral buildings takes hold, makers of building materials are well aware of the need to improve the environmental footprint of their products. For its part, the steel industry has exceeded Kyoto accords for energy-efficiency improvement by more than 240 percent and made sizeable reductions in GHG emissions. According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, the industry has reduced its energy consumption by 33 percent since 1990.1 Coal figures heavily in energy consumption, but as steel scrap is increasingly used to make new steel, natural resources are being conserved and energy consumption reduced, with manufacturers reducing annual energy consumption by an amount that would power 18 million households for one year. While significant amounts of energy are required to convert iron ore and scrap to steel, the US EPA reports that the sector's energy use per ton of steel shipped improved over the last decade, with corresponding reductions in actual energy used. At the same time, the EPA states, "Release of CO2 is inherent to the chemical reactions through which iron ore is chemically reduced to make iron, and from the carbon content of iron when reduced to make steel. These emissions cannot be reduced except by changing the process by which iron and steel are made or by capturing and storing the CO2 after it is created. Research into new methods of steelmaking, is also targeting low-carbon processes."The steel industry has also established the carbon dioxide Breakthrough Program to fund the development of new steelmaking technologies. Source: 1http://consumerenergyalliance.org/american-iron-and-steel-institute-wins-energy-efficiency-award/-wins-energy-efficiency-award/ Photo: dreamstime (stock)
Mining, particularly open pit mining, is harsh on the environment. According to the Portland Cement Association, the cement industry is minimizing the disruption with "new technologies and a concerted effort to work closely with the communities in which quarries reside." Careful practices during operations minimize the impact, as does restoration of the sites to beneficial use. Sand, gravel, and crushed stone are typically mined in close proximity to their use, which gives quarry operators a strong incentive to be environmentally responsible and to maintain good relationships with the host community. Often, quarries are reclaimed for development, agriculture, or recreational uses. The Association says that, since 1972, the cement industry has reduced the energy it takes to make a ton of cement by over 37 percent, along with associated combustion emissions. In 1990, U.S. cement manufacturers set performance improvement goals—among them, a means for continuous improvement through Environmental Management Systems that track, report and improve environmental performance. Specific goals per unit of production were set for 2020 and include reducing carbon dioxide by 10 percent, energy use by 20 percent, and cement kiln dust by 60 percent. Recognising the need to reduce the CO2 intensity of cement production, the International Energy Agencyhas worked with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) to develop a technology roadmap for cement. This document outlines a possible transition path for the industry to make continued contributions towards a halving of global CO2 emissions by 2050. The roadmap estimates that the cement industry could reduce emissions b 18% from current levels by 2050.Sources: Portland Cement Association, http://www.cement.org/smreport09/sec_page2_3.htm; Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative, http://www.sustainableconcrete.org/?q=node/42;International Energy Agency, Technology Roadmap – Cement, http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/name,3861,en.html
Maximizing resource use: the term “waste” is largely obsolete in the context of forest product manufacturing. The term 'waste' is largely obsolete in the context of today’s North American forest products industry. Logs brought to U.S. and Canadian sawmills and other wood product manufacturing centers are converted almost totally to useful products, leaving little to no waste. This is attributable to state-of-the-art sawmilling that maximizes the quality and quantity of boards that can be cut from a tree, combined with further processing fiber that is unsuitable for lumber production into composite products such as OSB or fiber boards and paper. It is also common for companies to have cogeneration facilities, also known as combined heat and power, which convert sawdust, bark and other residual fiber to electrical and thermal energy. In a carbon-focused world, this integration is especially important.Source: Utilization of Harvested Wood by the North American Forest Products Industry, Dovetail Partners Inc. Photos: naturallywood.com
Compared to manufacturing, which requires the greatest amount of energy in the construction process, transportation of building materials represents only a fraction of total fossil fuel consumption. For a typical wood-frame house in Minnesota, construction transportation constitutes only 3.6 percent of total fossil fuel consumption. That said, the impacts will be greater or less depending on the distance, mode of transportation, and material being transported.Source: This data was calculated by FPInnovations using the Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings, 2011
While distance may seem like the most significant element for determining transportation effects, a product travelling a long distance in a highly efficient mode will actually have a smaller environmental footprint than a product with fewer miles to travel in an inefficient manner. Road transport is by far the most carbon-intensive option, and is about six times more energy-intensive than rail transport and 15 times more energy-intensive than sea transport.Source: Brentwood Consulting, based on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design values for energy use
Wood is light compared to other materials and is transported first by road to the mill and then further by rail and ship. Concrete has the advantage of being produced locally, but is heavy and transported by truck. Due to its weight, steel is high in embodied energy, which equates to CO2 emissions.For wood, the capacity of trees to absorb and store carbon can be factored against the carbon dioxide emissions incurred during drying, processing and transporting wood products. The result may be a carbon-neutral building material. Source: Photo: dreamstime (stock)
When viewed overall, the embodied energy in wood products is significantly lower than the embodied energy in concrete or steel—either virgin or recycled. But there are other considerations when evaluating the choice of building materials ...Source: Data compiled by the Canadian Wood Council using the ATHENA EcoCalculator with a data set for Vancouver, British Columbia
Is it Renewable? Concrete – NO Steel – NO Wood – YES ... such as renewability. A natural resource is renewable if it can be naturally replaced at the rate at which it is consumed. When the sand and gravel in concrete are mined from an area, they will not be replenished naturally in a reasonable time. Likewise, iron ore, the primary ingredient in steel, will not be replaced in a timely manner. Of the three building materials, wood is the only renewable resource.
Recyclability, which also factors into environmental decision making, is another consideration. All three materials are recyclable.In the U.S., more than 80 million tons of steel are recycled each year and the overall recycling rate for 2011 was 92 percent. When one ton of steel is recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved. However, there are still two considerations. First, the worldwide demand for steel outstrips the supply from demolished or scrap steel. Second, even though recycled steel requires about half the energy to produce as virgin steel, it is still considerably more than wood. Steel can also be reused. The industry says that steel frames with bolted connections can be easily dismantled. Entire structures are demountable and can be reconstructed in a different location in a matter of days. Concrete, too, can be recycled … and this is becoming an accepted way of disposing concrete structures that were once routinely shipped to landfills. Typically, concrete is collected and put through a crushing machine, often along with asphalt, bricks, and rocks. In reinforced concrete, the rebar is removed with magnets, and the remaining concrete chunks are sorted by size. Smaller pieces of concrete can be used for gravel for new construction projects, in shoreline protection, or as a road base. Recycled or reclaimed wood has the added cachet of architectural quality and character. Older beams and timbers are dense with a high ring count, and are praised by builders for their low moisture content. This makes them extremely stable, particularly in exterior situations. Antique wood has a striking patina that comes from oxidation that occurs on its surface. The color of old wood used in interior applications is generally mellower than the original, and history may also shine through, with the scuffs and scrapes of warehouse flooring still visible after sanding. Seasoned old growth lumber from demolition of historic structures has found new life as beams, exposed trusses, millwork, flooring, and furniture. Still, recycling timber is time-consuming and labor intensive—demolition must be careful to preserve as much of the timber as possible, wall studs must be trimmed off, nails pulled out and the lumber refinished. Recycled wood may not always fit in a new project, either from a size or a building code perspective, and there is not a well-established supply in many areas.
While all three materials can be recycled, wood is the only materialthat has third-party certification programs in place to confirmthat products have come from a sustainably managed resource. While life cycle assessment evaluates the environmental aspects of products or materials, forest certification verifies the sustainability of forest management. More than 50 independent forest certification programs exist worldwide, reflecting the diversity of forest types, ecosystems, and ownership.The two largest umbrella certification programs are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC). PEFC endorses the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and the American Tree Farm System (ATFS). All of these standards are used in North America and recognized internationally.
North Americais internationally recognized for its supply of quality wood products from well-managed forests. As of August 2012, more than 500 million acres of forest in Canada and the U.S. were certified under one of the four internationally recognized programs used in North America: the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Canadian Standards Association’s Sustainable Forest Management Standard (CSA), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and American Tree Farm System.Sources: www.pefc.org, www.fscus.org,www.fsccanada.org, www.fsc.org, www.certificationcanada.org, www.mtc.com.my
Leadership in Forest Certification This represents more than half of the world’s certified forests. Sources: www.pefc.org, www.fscus.org, www.fsccanada.org, www.fsc.org, www.certificationcanada.org, www.mtc.com.my
Certified wood is the only product that can carry the added value of chain-of-custody certification—which confirms that it came from sustainably managed, third-party certified forests. Similar to tracking packages, chain-of-custody tracks forest products through all phases of ownership, processing and transportation, from the forest of origin to the end consumer. The chain-of-custody system is verified through an independent third-party audit. The result is that buyers know their building materials are coming from forests managed in accordance with strict sustainable forest management certification standards—and not from controversial sources such as illegal logging. The concrete and steel industries have no third-party sustainability certification or chain-of-custody certification. However, progress is being made in responsible procurement. In particular, some steel companies are reportedly encouraging suppliers to adopt responsible practices and/or management systems certified to ISO standards. In certain cases, companies dedicate online resources to screening potential suppliers and to promoting and monitoring the performance of existing vendors. Steel is often imported from developing countries and the absence of a third-party certification program makes it impossible to accurately assess the environmental and social impacts of steel products. Photos: naturallywood.comSources: Photos: naturallywood.com Manufacturing Timber importer Chain of Custody certificate Chain of Custody certificate Chain of Custody certificate
Environmental product declarations (EPDs) are the next wave in the world of environmental labeling. An EPD is designed to provide accurate, accessible and comparable information about the environmental impacts associated with goods or services. Much like nutritional food labels on products, EPDs are about making sure the data is transparent and leaving judgment up to the audience. Based on LCA data, EPDs are standardized (ISO 14025) and applicable worldwide for all interested companies and organizations. EPDs are voluntarily developed and include information about the environmental impacts of a product or service, such as raw material acquisition, energy use and efficiency, emissions to air, soil and water, and waste. They also include product and company information. The wood industry is taking a leadership role by adopting EPDs in advance of regulatory requirements. This will help to advance the sustainability cause in the building construction sector and demonstrate its strong environmental values.Examples of EPDs can be found at:American Wood Council, www.awc.org/greenbuilding/epd.phpCanadian Wood Council, www.cwc.ca/index.php/en/design-with-wood/sustainability/life-cycleFPInnovations,www.fpinnovations.canaturallywood.com
In reducing the environmental footprint of tomorrow’s structures, wood is a sustainable building choice. LCA studies repeatedly show that it outperforms steel and concrete in terms of embodied energy, air and water pollution and global warming potential. It stores carbon. Certified wood that has a chain-of-custody provides documentation of responsible procurement. And the forest industry creates jobs and well being for millions of people worldwide. Photo: W.G. Clark Construction, AnkromMoisan Architects
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