Colors are deceiving

Green construction techniques promise to make buildings healthier for the environment, workers and owners.

“It’s a whole new way of thinking, a new way of building,” says Jim Majernik, project manager at TEDCO Construction Corporation. He’s reflecting on the process this Pittsburgh, Pennsylvainia-based general contractor took to finish out the University of Pittsburgh’s McGowan Center for Regenerative Medicine. The research building is designed to meet the certification standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) set out by the U.S. Green Buildings Council (USGBC).

The LEED process, developed by a wide variety of disciplines, strives to attain greater conservation and efficiency in buildings. It is based on a comprehensive rating system that designers and builders use to make building projects more economical and ecological, reports the USGBC. It relies on good planning to make the most of the site, then uses building components, building practices and proven technology to create an efficient, healthy and environmentally friendly working environment.

TEDCO, a 25-year-old general contracting firm that averages $35 million in projects annually, worked closely with the architect, IKM, Inc. on the project. “TEDCO does interior build-outs, educational institutions, hospitals, retail space and commercial facilities,” says Elizabeth Quinn, TEDCO safety director. This was the company’s first LEED project.

Elements of a green design
The two-story, 45,000 sq. ft. McGowan Center now stands tall on the ground where Pittsburgh mills once churned out millions of tons of steel. LEED-certified buildings must be on sustainable sites, be water-efficient and use materials and resources during construction that promote environmental quality.

“Those involved with the project can help by being be LEED accredited. They must go through training and pass a test,” Quinn adds. The company has four individuals who are LEED Accredited Professionals.

The McGowan Center was first built as a spec building in 1999, but finish work did not start until seven months before the building opened.

“The demands of meeting the environmental requirements of the LEED plan and the tight project deadline caused us to rethink every step of this project,” says John Kearney, jobsite superintendent.

“We had to complete many extra steps in an order that you wouldn’t follow on an ordinary construction project. If you tried to cut a corner on one part of the job, it would affect your LEED points on another segment.

“From the beginning of this project to commissioning the building, we had to work closely with the engineers and architects to assure each phase did not cause problems later,” Kearney says.

Green construction requires communication
“It’s up to the designers, owner and contractor to find the best ways to meet the ambitious LEED goals, but it is up to everyone working on the project to carry them out,” Majernik. “From selecting more eco-friendly HVAC systems to minimizing materials going to the landfill off the site, everyone must do their part.”

To attain LEED certification, the building must score at least 26 out of 69 possible points. To achieve silver-level status, the project must score at least 33 points; a gold-level certification must score at least 39 points and a platinum-level certification must score 52 or more points. The LEED team on the McGowan project aims to achieve a gold certification rating, once six-month energy-use data is compiled and compared with conventional energy costs.

To gain points in the process, the design and construction team addressed LEED criteria in the following areas:

Sustainable site: 14 possible points
The LEED process encourages using old building sites instead of building on undeveloped ground. Because the site is a remediated steel mill in Pittsburgh’s urban redevelopment area, it meets this criteria. The LEED process also awards points if the site is close to mass transit, is bicycle-friendly and has a design that creates open space. The site must also meet erosion and sediment control standards and feature landscape and exterior design components that reduce heat absorption on roof and non-roof surfaces.

The building shell wasn’t originally designed as a “green” building. However, grant money was available to finish the building out to meet the LEED goals.

“The people who promote the LEED concept say building green adds only two to five percent to the construction cost, but pays back greatly over the life of the building with healthier, happier employees, lower energy costs and less waste,” says Majernik.

To help reduce heat absorption, all roof components are painted white to reflect the sun’s rays. In areas where white TPO roofing materials could not be used, the roof’s rock ballast will be painted white. Using white landscape rock was considered, but the sharp corners could penetrate the roof membrane, so the team opted to paint the rocks to achieve the same effect. Additional high-density insulating panels were added to the shell of the building to improve energy efficiency.

Water efficiency: 5 possible points
The building’s design takes water conservation very seriously. Rain water collected off the roof flows into a 5,000-gal. underground tank. That water is treated and used in the water-stingy commodes in the building. Drip irrigation maintains the green spaces around the building. LEED-certified buildings can attain additional points for reducing water use by another 20 to 30 percent over baseline conditions.

Energy and atmosphere: 17 possible points
The design must meet minimum energy performance standards outlined in ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-1999 or local energy codes and use non-CFC-containing refrigerants in its cooling and HVAC systems. To gain LEED certification points, the design must save up to 60 percent of the energy cost when compared with conventional building processes. Renewable energy sources and purchasing green power from utilities can add points.

Throughout the building, high-efficiency lighting controlled by motion sensors turns lights off when no one is in the area. Each room has its own temperature and air pressure control that maintains indoor air quality throughout the facility.

Although the computer-controlled air quality system actively controls indoor air quality, passive methods also help reduce energy costs.

For example, the decorative transom windows in perimeter offices have drop panels that block radiant energy from the sun’s rays, yet reflect the light up to the ceiling, providing better, more natural lighting.

Materials and resources: 13 possible points
This area had the greatest impact on construction crews. First, the building’s design must provide a plan for storing and collecting recyclables once the building is occupied. Points get added if the building project reuses or maintains a percentage of the outer and inner shells of the building.

Points can be garnered by using materials with recycled content and managing construction waste. The design and construction team had to closely monitor building material used on the project to assure they contained recycled materials whenever possible and practical. Further, construction waste had to be managed because it affects the overall LEED score. The USGBC reports that construction practices produce 22 lbs. of waste for every sq. ft. of construction.

“We had five dumpsters on-site and we worked with our workers and subcontractors to sort their waste materials,” says Majernik.

For example, ceiling tile scraps were bundled and returned to the manufacturer and metal, steel and wood were also recycled.

“At least 10 percent of the concrete came from a recycled source. We had to remove the original ballast on the roof to install the rooftop units but couldn’t reuse it as ballast because it was too dirty. We recycled it in the finish grading around the building. Every piece of material was considered for reuse or recycling somewhere on the project. Every 100 lbs. of material matters,” Majernik says.

The greatest obstacle was drywall. “Even though it is gypsum, which can be used as a soil amendment by farmers, we could not guarantee the content of the drywall, so we didn’t feel comfortable spreading it on some farmer’s field,” says Kearney.

“Since drywall is heavier than other materials, we had to monitor weight closely to assure it didn’t outweigh our other recycled materials. That is the one area we need to develop; how to recycle drywall waste,” he says.

The LEED process awards points for using locally manufactured materials. “We looked closely at where all components were manufactured. For example, all the wood doors used in the facility had to come from a certified renewable forest within 500 miles of the building,” says Quinn.

“We can attain additional points by certifying that at least five percent of the components come from rapidly renewable resources and that the wood was certified to come from forests that meet Forest Stewardship Council guidelines.”

Environmental quality: 15 possible points
About 50 percent of the building is laboratory space where indoor air quality is vital. “The control processes used in these areas makes air quality a top priority,” says Quinn, “Energy efficiency was only considered after the air quality was assured.” The air exchange and rooftop HVAC units were specially designed to achieve greatest efficiency without sacrificing air quality.

As duct work was installed in the building, workers were required to stage it in a makeshift isolation room to eliminate any chance that dust would get inside the ducts.

“Once the ductwork was installed, all open vents and inlets had to be sealed to prevent any dust from settling inside the system,” says Kearney. “We also kept the jobsite cleaner than what you normally would. We used a lot of sweeping compound to control dust that could cause air quality problems later.”

All materials, from the paints used on the walls to the carpet on the floors, were chosen based on their low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC). “We had to identify the VOC and chemical component limits of all paints, adhesives and sealants, carpet and composite wood products,” Majernik says.

The certification process also awards points for design that allows efficient use of daylight in the building.

Design excellence: 5 possible points
Accomplishing the goal of an environmentally friendly building must start at the design phase and carry through the complete construction process and the building’s life. The LEED process awards extra points for projects that demonstrate innovation in design to find earth-friendly solutions to building design challenges.

Growing in acceptance
The green construction concept is catching on. An audit of the sites that have been green-certified through the LEED program stands at nearly 30; however, projects reported underway top 430. “It makes so much sense to design efficiency in and pay attention to it throughout the building process. It makes you wonder why it’s taken this long to think about doing this,” Kearney says.

To learn more about the LEED certification program, go to  www.leedbuilding.org or call (415) 445-9500. Additional information can be found at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Web site, www.usgbc.org.

Published in the November/December 2002 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

back to top