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PolySteel Contribution to
LEED Certification
We now offer LEED AP Services
As the demand for more sustainable design and
construction practices has grown, the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System has
increasingly become the adopted standard used by
governments, building owners, and designers to evaluate
how a building will ultimately perform within these
“green” criteria. As PolySteel has been providing one
of the most energy-efficient, durable, and
environmentally responsible building materials available
since 1978, it is important to understand how the use of
our products integrates into the LEED evaluation system
to help you or your client achieve the level of LEED
Certification you are trying to reach. LEED-New
Construction (LEED-NC) is a widely used and referenced
system for commercial buildings. LEED-Homes (LEED-H)
was rolled out in August 2005 in the pilot phase and is
focused on the construction of new homes. The following
provides an explanation of the LEED points that
PolySteel can help achieve under both rating systems.
LEED- NC (New
Construction) Version 2.2
It is the ways and means by which PolySteel is
manufactured, installed, enhances the overall
performance of a building, and is ultimately recycled,
that determines its contribution to the achievement of
LEED-NC Certification, not simply the use of the
PolySteel product itself. There are six categories of
design and performance that are evaluated for a total of
69 possible points:
Available points for the different LEED NC Categories:
Sustainable Sites
.................................... 14
Materials & Resources ......................... 13
Water Efficiency.........................................
5 Indoor Environmental Quality..........
15
Energy & Atmosphere..........................
17 Innovation & Design Process
............. 5
The four levels of LEED-NC certification and the required points are:
Certification Level
Required Points
Certified............................
26-32
Silver...................................
33-38
Gold....................................
39-51
Platinum...........................
52-69
The first two categories, Sustainable Site,
and Water Efficiency, do not apply to the use of
PolySteel in the structure. The remaining four hold
opportunities to achieve superior performance for you
and your client:
Category 3 –
Energy & Atmosphere
Credit 1, Optimize Energy
Performance
Points Available: 10
Energy and Atmosphere is the category of LEED that
offers the most points of any category. There are 17
total points available.
ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2004 is the benchmark for energy
performance measurement for LEED. To achieve points,
energy cost savings percentages must be achieved
compared to the baseline and measured via a whole
building project simulation. If the building "new
construction" and is designed and constructed to achieve
35% energy cost savings, 8 points are awarded; if the
performance is 42% better, 10 points are awarded.
PolySteel’s demonstrated history of superior insulation,
reduction in air infiltration, and thermal mass
performance has reduced heating and cooling
significantly compared to many traditional forms of
construction. PolySteel can significantly contribute to
the achievement of the maximum points allowable in this
category.
Category 4 – Materials & Resources
Credit 2.1 & 2.2, Construction Waste
Management
Points Available: 2
LEED
also awards points for the recycling of construction
waste from the job site. One point can be earned if 50%
of the waste material is diverted from the local
landfill and two points are awarded if 75% of all the
waste generated is recycled. All of the components of
the PolySteel wall system are recyclable: the forms,
including the ties, the concrete, and the rebar used to
reinforce it.
Category 4 – Materials & Resources
Credit 4.1 & 4.2, Recycled
Content
Points Available: 2
Using recycled materials generally uses less energy than
the production of new materials. If 10% of the
materials used in a project are from a recycled source
(post-consumer + ½ pre-consumer), 1 point can be
earned. 20% recycled material will earn 2 points.
Although the EPS in PolySteel is virgin materials, the
steel ties in PolySteel Forms (40% to 50% of the weight
of the form) contain 75% recycled material. The ties in
the PolyPro Form contain a minimum of 40%
post-industrial recycled material, by weight. The
concrete and rebar that fills the forms also contains
significant post-consumer recycled material (aggregate,
fly ash, steel, etc.) that should be analyzed with each
project to determine the system contribution to the
whole.
Category 4 – Materials & Resources
Credit 5.1 & 5.2, Local/Regional
Materials
Points Available: 2
Minimizing the impact on the environment includes
reducing the energy used to transport building materials
to the construction site. Accordingly, 1 point can be
earned if 10% of the materials and products used (based
on value) are extracted, harvested or recovered, as well
as manufactured, within 500 miles of the project; and 2
points can be earned if 20% of the material is
extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as
manufactured, within 500 miles. The concrete used to
fill the PolySteel forms will be manufactured and
delivered from well within this distance, such that a
major component of the PolySteel wall system can
contribute to this category.
Category 5 – Indoor Environmental Quality
Credit 7.1, Thermal
Comfort
Points Available: 1
ASHRAE Standard 55-2004 for thermal comfort standards is
the benchmark for evaluating indoor air quality and
PolySteel goes a long way towards contributing to this
category. The substantial reduction in air infiltration
provided by a PolySteel envelope allows for more
efficient control of the air that circulates inside a
structure, and the relative humidity of the interior
space. (There are also no VOC’s contained in the wall
system, eliminating any off-gassing concerns in the wall
materials). The thermal mass of the concrete
encapsulated in the forms dramatically improves the
thermal stability of the interior environment,
minimizing temperature fluctuations and improving
overall comfort.
Category 6 – Innovation & Design Process
Points Available: 5
This
category allows up to 4 points to be earned for
exceeding requirements in other categories, or for
providing measurable benefits in areas not specifically
covered in the other sections. For example, one of the
concerns about the LEED Rating System is the lack of a
clear recognition of the role durability plays in the
overall environmental performance of the structure.
Under the current system, this recognition must come in
the area of Innovation and Design. The combination of
EPS insulation, which holds its performance longer than
any other type of insulation available, and reinforced
concrete, which can hold the system together for
hundreds, possibly thousands of years, provides a
building with a lifetime of consistent energy-efficient
and structural performance. Accordingly, PolySteel has
the opportunity to provide additional points in this
area. Because PolySteel also creates a cavity-free wall
with no nutritional value, mold and mildew have little
opportunity to grow in an environment where it is so
easy to control the humidity. This design advantage may
also contribute to additional credit in this category.
The superior performance of the PolySteel wall system
with respect to sound attenuation may also provide an
opportunity for recognition in urban infill areas where
noise is a design consideration. Finally, and more
recently of concern, is the extraordinary safety
PolySteel provides in areas of severe weather or with
higher security needs. An additional point can be
earned by having a LEED Accredited Professional (AP) on
your project team.
Taking the existing criteria into consideration, it
is evident that the use of PolySteel in your next
project can significantly contribute to the
achievement of up to 22 of the minimum 26 points
required to obtain LEED-NC Certification. Moreover,
the extensive range of benefits provided by
PolySteel will allow you and your clients to have a
building that is more comfortable, safer, less
costly to heat, cool, and maintain, more durable,
and more valuable. Employee productivity will be
enhanced, and the impact on the environment and
local infrastructure required to service this
building will be minimized – all of which are the
objectives envisioned by the founders of the LEED
Rating System. And all of which is consistent with
our mission to Build A Better World.
Cradle-To-Cradle
Silver Certification
PolySteel Earns Cradle
to Cradle Certification from MBDC
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW
MEXICO (November 1, 2007) - American PolySteel is
pleased to announce that the complete line of its
Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) have earned Silver
Certification from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry
(MBDC) under the Cradle to CradleSM (C2C) Evaluation
Protocol. MBDC is widely recognized as a leader in the
independent evaluation of how products contribute to the
health and sustainability of our environment and to the
principles of the
C2C
concept of “Remaking the Way We Make Things,” and
eliminating the concept of waste. The PolySteel PS•3000
Waffle Grid ICFs, PS•4000 Flat Wall ICFs, and the
PolyPro KD Flat Wall ICF are the first Insulating
Concrete Forms to achieve this important recognition and
place an important milestone on the path for PolySteel
and ICF technology as a valued contributor to the
improvement of our built environment and the betterment
of the world we live in.
“PolySteel is committed to improving our quality of life
by improving the quality of the shelters we build,
the lives of
those involved in the process, and the environment in
which we all live, work, and play as we strive to become
better human beings, and leave the world a little better
than we found it.” related Patrick Murphy, president of
American PolySteel. “We see the C2C design concept as a
process that is not only consistent with this vision,
but will also assist us in measuring our progress along
a path that leads beyond sustainability to truly
restorative design and construction.”
Cradle to
Cradle Certification involves a rigorous review of both
the product and the Company with regards to using
environmentally safe and healthy materials, designing
products for material reutilization, such as continuous
recycling or safely composting, conservation of energy
and the use of renewable energy, water stewardship, and
instituting strategies for social responsibility.
Maintaining C2C Certification is a dynamic process and
requires constant progress and vigilance, even to stay
at the same level of certification. “We believe the C2C
framework will help us move our suppliers, our
customers, and even our competitors, in the direction of
increased environmental and social responsibility as we
strive to improve our own efforts along this path,”
added Murphy. “We are grateful for and inspired by the
leadership demonstrated by BASF for their earlier work
to have their Styropor Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
recognized by MBDC as a Technical Nutrient, as EPS
constitutes the largest volume of material in our
products. Accordingly, it is our hope to provide an
example and support for those companies who choose to
work with us in improving the sustainability of the
entire PolySteel building system.”
American PolySteel
was the first ICF to achieve national code recognition,
partner with Energy Star, and achieve an unassisted
4-hour fire rating for its ICF wall system, among many
of its industry leading achievements. “In similar
fashion, we feel that all ICFs can and should become C2C
certified and are honored to lead the way as we have
done in other areas of industry advancement,” says
Murphy. “Most importantly, we want the building
community to understand that this simple, proven
technology offers the most elegant solution available
for the construction of a durable and efficient building
envelope, which is the cornerstone of sustainable
construction.”
Cradle to Cradle
certified products now earn Innovation in Design credits
as part of the certification process for buildings
constructed to LEED specifications. The Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) protocol is the
recognized standard for the evaluation of sustainable
construction practices and is administered by the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC) as part of its effort to
improve the quality of the built environment through
education, outreach, and recognition of exemplary
performance. PolySteel will be on display showcasing
its recent certification at the upcoming USGBC
Conference in Chicago, November 6-9.
Headquartered in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, American PolySteel has been
manufacturing superior insulating concrete forms since
1978. A national network of independent distributors
and a growing family on international licensees offers
architects, designers, engineers, builders and
homeowners with a complete line of ICF products and
comprehensive system of service and support around the
world. For more information about PolySteel call (800)
977-3676 or visit
www.polysteel.com.
PolySteel Industry
Leadership
- First ICF to Receive National Code Recognition
- First ICF to Become an Energy Star Partner
- First ICF to Perform Thermal Mass Analysis
- First ICF to Receive a 4-Hour Fire Rating
without Additional Wall Coverings.
- Founding Member of the Insulating Concrete Form
Association (ICFA)
- Only ICF Manufactured with Perform Guard Termite
Protection
- Most Comprehensive Line of ICF's in the Industry
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