Materials and Resources
REACH Optimization would be used in which of the following credit categories?
Materials and Resources REACH is the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. REACH requires all companies manufacturing or importing chemical substances into the European Union in quantities of one ton or more per year to register these substances.
A product with a Health Product Declaration (HPD) will assist the project team in selecting products that meet which of the following criteria:
Have less negative health effects HPDs help determine which products may cause health problems.
An environmental product declaration (EPD) for LEED must conform to which of the following standards?
ISO The International Standards Organization (ISO) standards are used for EPDs in LEED.
What should be included in a construction waste management plan?
If any construction waste materials to be recycled will be commingled or separated
How can an architect make sure that the general contractor understands what products to include in a project?
Include the products in the specifications
Which of the following are effective ways to lessen the overall environmental consequences of an interior space over its lifetime?
Installing demountable interior nonstructural walls This strategy is part of designing for flexibility which reduces the demand for new building materials over time. D. Selecting refurbished furniture Reusing materials or furnishings reduces the demand for new materials and thus preserves virgin resources.
The manufacturer of a foam ceiling acoustic tile has disclosed the ingredients in the product. With this information project teams will be able to do which of the following?
Make better-informed decisions The purpose of having manufacturers disclose materials is for project teams to make better decisions and encourage manufacturers to make efforts to improve the environmental qualities of their products over time.
Which of the following is NOT a strategy to reduce construction waste?
Maximize the building footprint Increasing the size of the building footprint would likely increase the amount of construction waste.
Which greenhouse gas is produced in landfills as a result of solid waste disposal?
Methane As trash decomposes in landfills methane is produced - a potent greenhouse gas.
What do the credits in the Materials and Resources (MR) category focus on?
Minimizing the embodied impacts associated with the entire life-cycle of building materials
Which of the following exemplify strategies of reducing harm to the environment over a building's entire life?
Using salvaged flooring in a new building Restoring a historic building Conducting a life-cycle assessment to help reduce a building's environmental footprint
A project has construction debris that is nonrecyclable waste. Which of the following actions can the project team take with the waste that will help the project with construction waste management?
Waste-to-energy Waste-to-energy is 'the conversion of nonrecyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolization, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas (LFG) recovery' It's quite popular and Europe and becoming more common. When strict air-quality guidelines are followed, it's a good way to dispose of trash and generate energy in the process.
An environmentally conscience tenant wants to select flooring that is environmentally preferable in an effort to plan ahead for when the tenant will eventually move to a larger office space. Which of the following flooring products meet the criteria?
Wood flooring that a manufacturer takes back after its end of life and refinishes Ceramic tile that a manufacturer takes back after its end of life and recycles
What is FSC Certified wood?
Wood that has been procured from well managed forests Wood that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is acceptable for LEED credits.
Which of the following materials can be certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)?
A. Softwood moulding B. Bamboo floors Hardwood cabinets think woods
What is greenwashing?
Advertising a product or policy to be more environmentally friendly than it really is
The project owner of an office park wants to make sure that once a tenant leaves, the tenant space can be quickly and easily renovated. How would the project team meet this goal?
By designing for flexibility Designing for flexibility helps reduce construction waste and the need for new building materials. It also allows renovations to occur more quickly because modular systems are frequently used.
How can a project team learn about the environmental impacts of a manufacturer's extraction operations and the product's supply chain?
By reviewing the manufacturer's corporate sustainability report (CSR) A CSR report is a third-party verified report that includes information on how the manufacturer extracts or sources materials.
A material that has met which of the following standards would contribute to material ingredient optimization?
. GreenScreen Cradle-to-Cradle Certified With Building Disclosure and Optimization remember there are two parts - the disclosure and the optimization. The disclosure is about transparency, which includes environmental product declarations (life-cycle impacts), material ingredients (health product declarations), and raw materials sourcing (corporate sustainability reports). The optimization is about using a certain quantity or percentage of those products that have disclosure for the project. Optimization usually includes a third party certification for the product. For material ingredients those certifications are GreenScreen and Cradle-to-Cradle Certified. Choosing products that have met one of those standards helps earn the credit. For international projects REACH Optimization can be used instead.
Which of the following is one of the most toxic and common sources of indoor air pollution in an existing building?
. Mercury Standard fluorescent lamps contain mercury.
Which of the following reduce the energy use and waste associated with the demolition and construction of buildings?
. Restoring existing buildings Preserving historic structures Rehabilitating blighted buildings
For solid waste management, which of the following ranks the highest by the EPA to reduce waste?
. Source reduction Source reduction, also known as waste prevention or pollution prevention, is the elimination of waste before it is created. It involves the design, manufacture, purchase or use of materials and products to reduce the amount or toxicity of what is thrown away.
A wood product is environmentally preferable if it has which of the following attributes?
. Wood that is sustainably grown and harvested Products that are sustainably grown and harvested are preferable.
A laboratory project requires a lot of special-use equipment and systems to keep the areas inside sterile. What would a sub-contractor need to safely handle a product during installation?
A Material safety data sheet (MSDS) Material Safety Data Sheets are intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures to safely handle a product during fabrication, installation, or in a life-safety event. The information given in an MSDS is not a comprehensive disclosure of contents, nor does it fully address all potential health hazards that may be associated with a product.
Which project layout would be the best for reducing demand for new materials?
A dense, mixed-use neighborhood The greater the density of a project, the more environmentally friendly it is. Putting more people into a building compared to building more buildings is better.
In an existing office building, how can the project team determine if there are additional opportunities for increasing the amount of waste diverted from ongoing operations?
Conduct a waste-stream audit What can't be measured can't be managed. The audit of the waste streams shows how much and of what type of waste is being generated by the project. Once the quantities are known, researching can be done to learn how to best reduce them.
What document does the project team create for the administrative and procedural requirements for salvaging, recycling, and disposing of non-hazardous demolition and construction waste?
Construction waste management plan A construction waste management plan contains the administrative and procedural requirements for salvaging, recycling and disposing of non-hazardous demolition and construction waste.
A floor covering that can be recycled into a new product at the end of its useful life would be what type of product?
Cradle to cradle Cradle to cradle is a term used in life-cycle analysis to describe a material or product that is recycled into a new product at the end of its useful life. Cradle to cradle is an example of a closed system. building materials are usually reused, salvaged, refurbished, but not renewable.
For new construction projects, which of the following tools enable the project team to understand the environmental impact of a building over its entire life?
Cradle-to grave life cycle analysis (LCA) A life-cycle assessment provides information on a building over all phases of its life. Using LCA in the design process helps the project team understand which short- and long-term impacts different design decisions will have, allowing them to make better design decisions.
Which of the following strategies should a hospital project choose to extend the life of the building and conserve building resources as the surrounding population grows?
Design rooms with modular systems Designing for flexibility is a concept that considers the future use of the building and how it may be modified while at the same time reducing waste and reducing the need for new materials. Modular room partitions, modular furniture, and zoned utility systems allow for future expansion.
Which of the following actions are aided by completing a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a building during the design process?
Determining the materials that best fit the project over the building's life One reason to do an LCA of a building is to be able to compare different material choices and see how they impact the project over the building's life. Reducing the amount of materials used An LCA provides insight into the building design. Through this process the materials may be reduced.
When reviewing products in the integrative design, which of the following are preferable material attributes that should be considered?
Durability Durable materials last longer, reducing the demand for new materials. C. Supporting the local economy Materials extracted and manufactured locally support the local economy and are preferable to materials from farther away.
When selecting windows for a building project, along with performance and adaptability, what else should the project team consider?
Embodied energy of the windows Embodied energy is an accounting methodology which aims to find the sum total of the energy necessary for an entire product lifecycle. This lifecycle includes raw material extraction, transport, manufacture, assembly, installation, disassembly, deconstruction and/or decomposition.
Which of the following does LEED use as a standard means of reporting the environmental impacts of a product, such as global warming potential and greenhouse gas emissions?
Environmental Product Declarations Typically, an EPD will include information about a product's impact on global warming, ozone depletion, water pollution, ozone creation, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Which of the following are strategies that help a project team design for flexibility?
Moveable furniture Movable furniture and partitions are 'items that can be moved by the users without the need of tools or assistance from special trades and facilities management.' - USGBC B. Demountable partitions A demountable partition is 'a temporary interior wall that can be easily reconfigured. In a health care facility, acoustical concerns and embedded equipment, as in a surgery suite, may prevent demountable partitions from being used.' - USGBC Modular casework Modular and movable casework is 'shelving and cabinetry designed to be easily installed, moved, or reconfigured. In a retail setting, items that are movable but semi-permanently attached using mechanical fastening systems for operational use are considered furniture and not base building elements (e.g., a table or display bolted to the floor, or shelving attached to a wall).' - USGBC
The purchasing policies for the ongoing operations of a building should address which of the following?
Ongoing consumables Ongoing consumables are 'a product that has a low cost per unit and is regularly used and replaced in the course of business. Examples include paper, toner cartridges, binders, batteries, and desk accessories. Also known as ongoing purchases.' - USGBC Durable goods Durable goods are 'products with a useful life of approximately two or more years and that are replaced infrequently. Examples include furniture, office equipment, appliances, external power adapters, televisions, and audiovisual equipment.' - USGBC
Which of the following purchasing decisions would reduce the environmental harm used in the operations of a school project?
Paper towels that are FSC certified, cafeteria food from a local farm, ENERGY STAR computers FSC-certified paper products are environmentally preferable because they reduce the demand for virgin resources. Purchasing food locally meets the goal by supporting the local economy. Computers and equipment that is ENERGY STAR rated meets the goal because they use less energy and enter sleep mode when not in use.
Which of the following is an example of a source control waste reduction strategy?
Pre-ordering materials cut to size Source reduction is the first and best way to minimize waste. Source reduction starts at the source-such as pre-ordering materials cut to size and choosing modular construction, which generates less onsite waste.
Which of the following would help with sustainable purchasing during building operations?
Purchasing recycled printer paper
How can projects reduce sending waste to a landfill?
Recycle materials Recycling and reuse of construction and demolition debris help reduce waste that is sent to a landfill. . Reuse materials Recycling and reuse of construction and demolition debris help reduce waste that is sent to a landfill.
Which of the following are the environmental benefits of reusing a building?
Reduces demands on virgin resources Because less new materials are required, virgin resources are preserved. Makes landfills last longer Reuse - whether a building or material - prevents the building or material from ending up in the landfill, extending the landfill's life.
A large home builder is developing a new neighborhood with 200 homes. What strategies would help the builder save on material costs and conserve materials?
Reducing hallways Structural insulated panels Advanced framing
What is an example of adaptive reuse?
Renovating an old steel mill into an apartment complex Adaptive reuse is the practice of redesigning and using a structure for a use that is significantly different from the building's original use.
A door found onsite and turned into a table as part of a major renovation would be considered what type of material?
Reused The door is an example of a reused material.
A project team for a school project is designing classrooms that will improve the learning experience. Which of the following building components meet this goal while maintaining preferable life-cycle impacts?
Reused acoustic tiles School projects have a prerequisite for acoustics. This choice is a reused product, which is preferable because it doesn't require any raw material extraction.
Some wood flooring recovered from a local barn demolition is being used for flooring in a new office project. What type of material is the wood flooring considered?
Reused material Reused materials are construction materials recovered from building sites and reused on different building sites in the same or a different capacity. Examples can include flooring, brick, beams, and doors.
Selecting products that have been developed with a sustainable design is an example of:
Source reduction Source reduction reduces the materials brought into a building. This includes products that have reduced packaging and products developed with sustainable design principles.
Which of the following legally binding documents describe the quality of the materials to be used on the project?
Specifications Specifications are created by architects and given to the contractor for the purposes of purchasing the right quantity and type of materials. Specifications include drawings of what is to be built. They are legally binding documents. Specifications are detailed and might include:
Which of the following materials, if reused, would be considered pre-consumer recycled content?
Sunflower seed hulls Sunflower seed hulls are a type of pre-consumer recycled content. Walnut shells Walnut shells are a type of pre-consumer recycled content. The walnut shells are taken from the walnut processing line at the food plant and shipped somewhere else to be turned into composite wood products such as cabinetry. Sawdust Sawdust can be taken from a lumber mill and sent to another manufacturer where they turn it into medium density fiberboard (MDF).
The choice of a building material used for a project should be determined by what criteria?
The cost of the material This is the economic portion of the triple bottom line. The impact the material has on society This is the social portion of the triple bottom line. The environmental impact of extracting and manufacturing the material This is the environmental portion of the triple bottom line.
What is true regarding carpet made from recycled milk jugs?
The material would reduce the need for virgin materials Using materials that contain recycled content reduces virgin materials use. Steel is the country's most widely recycled material. Supplemental cementitious materials (SCMs) is another common recycled materials used in commercial building. Fly ash is a common type of SCM. The carpet contains post-consumer recycled content Postconsumer recycled content - is the percentage of material in a product that was consumer waste. The recycled material was generated by household, commercial, industrial, or institutional end-users and can no longer be used for its intended purpose. It includes returns of materials from the distribution chain. Examples include construction and demolition debris, materials collected through recycling programs, discarded products (e.g., furniture, cabinetry, decking), and landscaping waste (e.g., leaves, grass clippings, tree trimmings). (ISO 14021)
When choosing products that have Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), which factor is used in determining if LEED credit can be earned?
The number of different permanently installed products used from different manufacturers When purchasing materials a certain number of products must be selected to meet LEED credit requirements. For LEED a product must be a permanently installed building product, and is defined as 'an item that arrives on the project site either as a finished element ready for installation or as a component to another item assembled on-site.' - USGBC Example products include: steel, wood, drywall, carpet.
A project team is reviewing potential building materials for a school project. What impact would reusing brick and stone found off-site have on the triple bottom line?
The reuse would be cost-effective. The reuse would be sustainable.
What are the environmental benefits of using salvaged wood flooring in a residential project?
The wood flooring will reduce the demand for virgin resources Salvaged materials reduce the demand for virgin materials and reduce waste. Flooring that is taken from a demo project can be reused elsewhere so that trees do not have to be cut down to supply wood for new flooring
In which of the following ways would a project use environmental product declarations (EPDs)?
To help the project team understand a product's sustainable qualities EPDs act as neither product ratings nor ecolabels; rather, they help architects, designers, specifiers, and other purchasers better understand a product's sustainable qualities and environmental repercussions. As such, EPDs equip manufacturers with a valuable tool for differentiation and empower customers to make more informed purchasing decisions.
For what purpose would a project team do a life-cycle assessment?
To understand the trade-offs of material selection and energy performance One reason to do an LCA of a building is to be able to compare different material choices and see how they impact the project over the building's life.
A manufacturer has a carpet tile that includes an environmental product declaration (EPD) and health product declaration (HPD). The manufacturer has also published a corporate sustainability report (CSR). Which of the following do these documents aid?
Transparency Each building disclosure and optimization credit in the Materials and Resources section has two options for compliance. The first option is for material transparency - what's in the material or how was it obtained. There are third party certifications used to confirm transparency. Transparency in the materials credits comes from publishing:
A tenant is reviewing cabinets for an office kitchen. One option is wheatboard cabinets sourced from different areas and compressed together with glue. A second option is solid oak cabinets extracted and manufactured locally. How can the environmental attributes of the products be compared?
by a life-cycle assessment Life-cycle assessment is 'an evaluation of the environmental effects of a product from cradle to grave
A construction waste management plan should address what items?
target diversion rate and what materials should be diverted from the waste stream A construction waste management plan should address what materials will be diverted from the landfill, as well as how they will be diverted and how the plan will be policed. For example: Will we recycle cardboard? What types of bins will we need? Where will they be stored? How will we protect the material from rain?
