NCIDQ, Ch. 4 - Sustainable Design

Sisal Wallcovering considerations

1. Natural material made from fibers of henequen plant 3. Fairly rough and not suitable for wet areas 2. Should be applied with zero VOC adhesive and detailed to allow expansion and contraction due to humidity

What suggestions should be made to help control occupant activity in regard to IAQ?

1. No smoking policy 2. Building owner/manager monitor individual space use to determine if major changes to occupant load, activities, or equipment occur. HVAC may need to be adjusted 3. Client install sensors for carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, VOCs, and other products related to the building management system

What should the contractor include in the spec manual for client regarding info from various suppliers of HVAC & electrical equipment?

1. Performance criteria 2. Operation requirements 3. Cleaning instructions 4. Maintenance procedures

3-things mold needs to grow

1. Moisture 2. Nutrient (organic materials - wood, carpet, paper coating of gyp board, paint, wallpaper, insulation, ceiling tile, etc...) 3. Temp range of 40-100 degrees F

Sustainable building design, is also known as

Green building

How should you handle removing PCBs when identified?

Handle with certified contractor and dispose of by incineration, dechlorination, placement in approved chemical waste landfill

In terms of sustainalbility what are the primary advantages and disadvantges of aluminum as a construction material?

Has a high potential for recycling but requires a large amount of energy for its manufacture

Lead

Highly toxic metal once used in a variety of consumer and industrial products. Exposure leads to serious health problems. Exposure mostly from certain types of paint in homes before 1978 or soil that has been affected by deteriorated paint. Lead-coated copper in flashing, sheet metal panels, gutters, downspouts no longer used (soil contamination)

Vermiculite

Hydrated laminar magnesium-aluminum-iron silicate that resembles mica. Was mined in Montana in location known to contain some asbestos. When heated in processing, it turns into worm-like pieces. Concern with loose, pour-in insulation used in attics and concrete blocks. Uses: pour-in insulation, acoustic finishes, fire protection, and sound-deadening compounds.

Recycled content

If you have more of this type of content, the less raw materials and energy required to process the raw material into final product. Three types: post-consumer materials, post-industrial materials, and recovered materials.

What is the Forest Stewardship Council?

International organization that oversees national and regional standards based on basic forest management principles

Environmental Tobacco Smoke, ETS

AKA Second hand smoke. Mixture of smoke given off by burning end of cigarette, pipe, or cigar and smoke exhaled from lungs of smokers

Greenguard Environmental Institute tests the following

ASTM Standards D5116 & D6670, EPA's testing protocol for furniture, state of Washington's protocol for interior furnishings and construction materials

Recyclability

Ability of previously used material to be used as a resource in manufacture of new product. Often difficult when separation of materials is required to get product to pure form.

Displacement ventilation

Air distribution system in which supply air originates at floor level and rises to return-air grilles in ceiling. Air supplied near user = less cost in cooling. Needs raised access flooring so used in new bldg only

Metallocene polyolefins

Allows polyolefins to be precisely manufactured to have specific properties EX: Window frames, membrane roofing, siding, wire sheathing

3-types of low-emission and zero VOC adhesives used for carpet, resilient, plastic laminates, sheet metal, wood veneers and some wallcoverings:

- Dry adhesives with encapsulated resins released by pressure - Water based adhesives containing latex or polyvinyl acetate - Natural adhesives containing plant resins

Carpet

- good raw materials include polyester and nylon blends made from recycled soft drink containers. - it is costly to recycle, so it is disposed in large quantities in landfills. However NYLON 6 is one type of nylon fiber that can be recycled easily - CRI tests for 4 different emissions, if it passes, it is given the label "Green Label Plus".

Ceiling finish considerations

1. Acoustical ceiling tile can have recycled content from old tiles, newsprint, perlite 2. Clay and wood also used 3. Recycled fiber-glass panels up to 95% recycled also used 4. Old tiles can be repainted 5. Cost effective to recycle 6. Ceiling grid able to be reused for scrap metal

4-causes of poor IAQ

1. Chemical contaminants from indoor sources 2. Chemical contaminants from outdoor sources 3. Biological contaminants 4. Poor ventilation

Indoor air contaminants

1. Chemical: VOCs, inorganic chemicals, tobacco, etc... 2. Biological: mold, pollen, bacteria, viruses

Asbestos is regulated by

1. Clean Air Act (CAA 1970) 2. Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA 1976) 3. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

4-phase to Life Cycle Assessment, LCA

1. Determine purpose and goals of doing study 2. Inventory analysis (determines all inputs and outputs of product) 3. Impact assessment (environmental impact of factors in #2) 4. Improvement analysis (how to reduce environmental impact)

Vinyl flooring benefits

1. Durability 2. Ease of cleaning 3. Wide choice of patterns/colors 4. Relatively low cost

Rubber flooring considerations

1. Durable, Slip resistant, & resilient 1. Manufacturing/binders can give off indoor air pollutants 2. Only use in areas of adequate ventilation (outdoor sports, locker rooms, utility)

How do you handle vermiculite that has been identified?

1. EPA recommends attic insulation that may contain asbestos-contaminated vermiculite not be disturbed and that any cracks be sealed 2. If insulation must be removed, only trained/certified professional contractor should do work

Strategies for eliminating/reducing sources of pollution in IAQ

1. Establish owner's criteria for IAQ early 2. Specify finish materials and furnishings w/ low VOCs 3. Specify materials resistant to mildew growth/moisture 4. Request MSDS (material safety data sheets) 5. HVAC should operate at full capacity for 2-weeks prior to occupancy to reduce emissions due to offgassing

Ceramic tile flooring considerations

1. High embodied energy to produce, yet still generally sustainable 2. Uses readily available natural materials, durable, produces practically no harmful emissions, requires little maintenance 3. Available in 25%-100% post-consumer or post-industrial content 4. Cement mortars and grouts are environmentally friendly: low VOCs 5. Avoid epoxy-grout, plastic adhesives w/ solvents and seals w/ high VOC

Vinyl flooring sustainability considerations

1. Large percentage PVC needed in manufacture 2. Do not incinerate for disposal due to concentration of chloride present 3. Use low VOC adhesives and recycled PVC content when able

Plumbing use considerations

1. Low-flow fixtures to reduce water consumption 2. LEED point given if water use is 30-40% less than water use baseline for tenant space

What health problems will asbestos bring about?

1. Lung cancer 2. Asbestosis (scarring of lungs) 3. Mesothelioma (cancer of lining of chest or abdominal cavity) 4. Cancer of esophagus, stomach, intestines (oral exposure)

Linoleum flooring considerations

1. Made from natural, renewable products (linseed oil, rosin, cork powder, pigments) 2. Durable, biodegradable, waterproof, fire resistant, natural antibacterial 3. Does not generate static elictricity 4. Emits lower levels of VOC than vinyl

Cork flooring considerations

1. Made from renewable bark of cork oak trees (9-10 yr regeneration rate) 2. Must be shipped in from Mediterranean forests where cork trees are well maintained, high transport costs 3. Excellent absorber of sound 4. Low VOC adhesives + water based urethane finishers keep off-gassing to a minimum

Gypsum wallboard considerations

1. Manufactured with 100% recycled content for paper faces and some recycled content for core 2. Available with newspaper mixed with gypsym as core material 3. 28% industry total use is synthetic gypsum 4. Does not contribute to harmful IAQ, but adhesives, finishes, paints do 5. Recyclable, but difficult as all parts must be separated from each other

Where is asbestos commonly found in old buildings?

1. Pipe and blown-in insulation 2. Asphalt flooring 3. Vinyl sheet flooring 4. Tile flooring 5. Construction mastics 6. Ceiling tiles 7. Textured paints 8. Roof shingles 9. Cement siding 10. Caulking 11. Vinyl wallcoverings

4-stages of Life Cycle

1. Raw material acquisition: Acquisition, processing, transportation 2. Manufacturing: Conversion, manufacturering, packaging, transportation 3. Use and maintenance: Installation, long-term use, maintenance 4. Disposal: Demo, convert to new product, disposal, reuse/recycle

3-considerations for carpet sustainability

1. Raw material use 2. Raw material disposal 3. Indoor air quality

How should you NOT remove Lead once identified?

1. Sanding 2. Propane torch 3. Heat gun 4. Dry scraping

Considerations in establishing good maintenance procedures

1. Select building materials/finishes easy to maintain 2. Include specs/requirements for warranties and maintenance contracts 3. Post occ evals periodically to review procedures for maintaining good IAQ 4. Require in specs that contractor assemble operation/maintenance manual from various suppliers of HVAC & electrical equipment 5. Include maintenance materials and procedures for regular cleaning of products & furnishings

Wood flooring considerations

1. Select from well-managed forest, FSC rated 2. Veneered or laminated products using plywood or MDF core can be used 3. Salvaged solid wood flooring can be used 4. Prefinished floors best so sanding/finishing not necessary on site, use water-based finishes if needed 5. Alternates: Bamboo or Palm wood

Paints & coatings considerations

1. Select with careful consideration around off-gassing characteristics 2. Must adhere to VOC limits set by EPA as required by Clean Air Act (CAA) 3. Flat interior paint cannot exceed 250g/L VOC content 4. Non flat interior paint cannot exceed 380g/L VOC content 5. Interior stains, primers, undercoats are limited to 100g/L

3 Groups the FSC currently accredits in the U.S.

1. SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance 2. Forest Conservation Program of Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) 3. SCS's Systems and Service Certification

Electricity use considerations

1. Utilize task, ambient, or daylighting 2. Occupancy sensors 3. Non-emergency lighting on programmable timer for non-business hours 4. Daylight responsive controls for spaces within 15' of windows/skylights 5. High-reflectance finishes to improve brightness from daylighting 6. Submeter each tenant's electric bill, separate from rent 7. Specify energy efficient appliances & equipment

Examples of good carpet materials

1. Wool: higher initial cost, lesser life cycle cost 2. Nylon 6: nylon fiber, easily recycled 3. Polyester and nylon blend from PET (soft drink containers) 4. Carpet tiles better than broadloom

Sprayed-on or wet-applied asbestos containing materials (ACM) for fireproofing and insulation were banned in

1973

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) banned asbestos in decorative items (textured paint and wall patching compounds) in

1978

How should you test for and mitigate asbestos?

By accredited company following strict procedures: 1. If it has not been disturbed, it can be left in place according to EPA and NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health) 2. May be encapsulated to protect from becoming friable or accidental damage 3. During building demo/reno, EPA requires removal by licensed contractor certified for work

What should you do with Lead once identified?

Banned by federal law in 1978 - anything before should be removed by someone certified. Sometimes covering with new layer of gyp board or paint is acceptible

PLA Bioplastics, polylactide

Biodegradable plastic derived from harvested corn currently used in fibers for carpet manufacture

Health concerns related to PCBs?

Cancer Afflicts immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, endocrine system

Hazardous materials

Chemical or biological substances that pose threat to environment or human health if released or misused; Ex: Asbestos, Vermiculite, Lead, & Radon

Volatile Organic Compounds, VOC

Chemicals that contain carbon and hydrogen which vaporize at room temperature and pressure

What health issues come with exposure to Lead?

Children: damage to brain/nervous system, slowed growth, behavior problems, seizures, death Adults: Digestive/reproductive problems, nerve disorders, muscle and joint pain, difficulties during pregnancy

Formaldehyde

Colorless gas with pungent odor. In resins and adhesives - common in particleboard, wall paneling, furniture, carpet adhesives, and glues in furnishings

Radon

Colorless, odorless, tasteless, naturally occurring radioactive gas found in soils, rocks, and water throughout world. Known to cause lung cancer.

Multiple chemical sensitivity, MCS

Condition by exposure to VOCs or other chemicals. People may develop acute, long-term sensitivity that shows symptoms each time they are exposed to chemicals; may remain with them the rest of their life.

Sick building syndrome, SBS

Condition where building occupants experience variety of health-related symptoms that cannot be directly linked to any particular cause. Symptoms disappear when occupant leaves the building.

Building related illness, BRI

Condition where health-related symptom(s) of buildings occupants are identified and directly attributed to certain building contaminants. Symptoms do not immediately improve when occupant leaves the building. EX: legionnaires disease

LEED is

Consesus-based building rating system designed to accelerate the development and implementation of green building practices.

Polyethylene terephthalate, PET

From soft-drink containers, can be used to manufacture carpet with properties similiar to polyester

Block wall depressurization

Depressurizing voids within block wall foundation, in relation to radon remediation

Material safety data sheets, MSDS

Emission tests provided by manufacturers, as required by OSHA

LEED stands for

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Formaldehyde-free MDF

Low emission panels that use phenol-formaldehyde or urethane adhesives. Have formaldehyde level of 0.04 PPM (less than 0.05 PPM commonly accepted rate)

What is composite wood veneer?

Made by slicing readily available fast-growing trees into veneers, dying the veneer, and then gluing them together to create an artificial log. Log sliced to produce a variety of veneers

Biobased products

Made with plant or animal materials as main ingredient - helps maintain good IAQ and provides market for rural economy. Examples: adhesives, composite panels, gypsum wallboard substitutes, ceiling tiles, and carpet backing.

Flue-gas desulfurization

Main source for synthietic gypsum in North America, process where power-generating plants remove polluting gases from their stacks to reduce emission of harmful materials into atmosphere

Coproduct

Marketable byproduct from a process that can include materials traditionally considered to be waste, but that can be used as raw materials in different manufacturing process

Renewable material

Material is sustainabile if it comes from sources that can renew themselves in a fairly short time. EXAMPLE: plant products, wool carpet, linoleum floor, bamboo paneling.

Post-consumer materials

Material or product that has served its intended use and has been diverted or recovered from waste destined for disposal, having completed its life as a consumer item

Post-industrial materials AKA: Pre-consumer materials

Materials generated in manufacturing processes (trimmings or scrap) that have been recovered/diverted from solid waste

Energy efficiency

Materials, products, and assemblies should reduce energy consumption of a building

Polychlorinated Biphenyls, PCBs

Mixtures of synthetic organic chemicals with physical states ranging from oily liquids to waxy solids. Used in commercial/industrial applications including transformers, paints, coatings, plastic & rubber products. Banned in 1977 under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.

Where is Radon frequently found? How can you identify it?

Mostly found where it accumulates (homes, schools, offices). Identified by trained contractor or homeowner using kit from hardware store

Asbestos

Naturally occurring fibrous mineral found in certain types of rock formations. Health concerns come when it becomes friable or disrupted

International Standards Organization (ISO)

Nongovernmental organization comprised of national standards bodies from over 120 countries

Greenguard Environmental Institute is

Nonprofit, industry-independent organization overseeing Greenguard Certification program

Cradle to Cradle (C2C)

Offers two types of product certification: (1) technical/biological nutrient certification - certifies material can be continually reused as either a biological or technical nutrient. (2) product certification program 5-tiered classification of basic, bronze, silver, gold, or platinum based on criteria of materials, material reutilization, renewable energy, water stewardship, and social fairness.

Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)

Private organization established to advance public and private sectors toward more environmentally sustainable policies as an independent, third party certifier - the lead 3rd party certifier. Certifies biodegradability, recycled content, and environmentally preferable products.

Building commissioning

Process of inspecting, testing, starting up, and adjusting building systems and then verifying and documenting that they are operating as intended and meet design criteria of contract documents

Renewable product

Product that can be grown, naturally replenished, or cleansed at a rate that exceeds human depletion of resource EXAMPLE: plant products, wool carpet, linoleum floor, bamboo paneling.

Biodegradable

Product/material can break down quickly and return to the earth after disposal

Life cycle assessment, LCA

Provides methodology to evaluate environmental impact of using a particular material or product in a building

Indoor Air Quality, IAQ

Quality of air affects people's sense of well-being and can affect absenteeism, productivity, creativity, motivation

Methylene-diphenyl isocyanate, MDI

Resin that does not emit toxic gases during use and requires less dryer energy and lower press temperatures than do traditional binders

What is adaptive reuse?

Reusing as much of the existing building stock as possible instead of constructing a new building. Example: turning an old warehouse into apartments. It conserves natural resources, reduces energy required, lessens air and water pollutions, and keeps materials from the waste stream.

Section 01350

Standard environmental requirements specification developed by State of CA to cover key environmental performance issues related to selection and handling of building materials. Created by CHPS.

Demand control ventilation

System designed to adjust amount of ventilation air provided to space, based on extent of occupancy. Normally uses carbon dioxide sensors but may also use occ sensors or AQ sensors

What activities does the Environmental Institute conduct?

Test products for acceptable indoor air quality standards and registers the product it certifies

Embodied energy

Total energy required to extract, produce, fabricate, deliver material to job site, including collection of raw materials, energy used to extract and process raw materials, transportation from the original site to the processing plant or factory, energy required to turn the raw materials into finished product, energy required to transport materials to the job site

Rapidly renewable

Typically renews itself within 10 years. EX: Wool carpets, bamboo flooring & paneling, straw board, cotton batt insulation, linoleum flooring, poplar oriented strand board (OSB), sunflower seed board, wheatgrass cabinetry

LEED was developed by

USGBC - US Green Building Council. - covers all aspects of building industry

Certified wood products

Use wood obtained through sustainable forest management practices EX: FSC Forest Stewardship Council

Passive sub-slab depressurization

Using a vent pipe without fan to draw air from under slab to the outside, in relation to radon remediation

Sub-membrane depressurization

Using fan-powered vent to draw air from below membrane laid on crawl space floor, in relation to radon remediation

Active sub-slab depressurization

Using fan-powered vent to draw air from below slab, in relation to radon remediation

Crawl-space depressurization

Ventilating crawl space with a fan, in relation to radon remediation

Recovered materials

Waste or byproducts that have been recovered or diverted from solid-waste disposal; does not apply to materials generated from or reused within original manufacturing process

Energy Star provides tools and resources to assist:

architects, business owners, and others in building process to design, build, commission, and manage projects in a way that saves energy

Sustainable Design

strategies to achieve a balance between the consumption of environmental resources and the renewal of those resources. - considers the full life cycle of a building and the materials that comprise the building. - environmental impact of an interior design project / the wise use of materials / adaptive reuse / indoor air quality / use of alternative energy sources.