Understanding Sustainable Insulation and LEED v4
Indoor Environmental Quality Credit
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) refers to the quality of a building’s environment in relation to the health and well-being of those who occupy space within it.4 IEQ is determined by many factors, including lighting, air quality, and damp conditions. IEQ influences material selection in green or sustainable buildings. This is particularly important since the average person spends up to 90 percent of their time indoors. Unlike Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality is very similar to the original credit category from 2009. It still addresses minimum indoor air quality performance, environmental tobacco smoke control, and minimum acoustic standards for schools in its prerequisites. It also addresses daylight, views, thermal comfort, low-emitting materials, and a construction indoor air quality management plan in its credits.
Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies is a new credit in this category that builds on Increased Ventilation from the previous rating system. It does include a requirement for increased ventilation but also for carbon dioxide monitoring, entryway systems, cross-contamination prevention, filtration, and air contamination prevention and monitoring. Depending on whether the building uses mechanical, natural, or mixed-mode ventilation, it must meet certain elements of the credit.
Low-Emitting Materials
The Low-Emitting Materials credit includes requirements for product manufacturing as well as project teams. It covers volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in the indoor air and the VOC content of materials, as well as the testing methods by which indoor VOC emissions are determined. Different materials must meet different requirements to be considered compliant for this credit. The building interior and exterior are organized in seven categories, each with different thresholds of compliance. The building interior is defined as everything within the waterproofing membrane. The building exterior is defined as everything outside and inclusive of the primary and secondary weatherproofing system, such as waterproofing membranes and air- and water-resistive barrier materials.
In LEED v3, there were four total points available in the IEQ Low-Emitting Materials credit, but now there are three. And LEED v4 now requires specific criteria for emissions from wood and adhesives, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) must be reported. There are two options to gain Low-Emitting Materials points in LEED v4: Product Category Calculation and Budget Calculation Method.
Option 1: Product Category Calculations
Projects must achieve the threshold level of compliance with emissions and content standards for the number of product categories. The number of categories has moved from four to seven so that more materials are included. Product categories are:
- Interior paints and coatings (>90 percent by volume for emissions, 100 percent for VOC content)
- Interior adhesives and sealants (>90 percent by volume for emissions, 100 percent for VOC content)
- Flooring (100 percent)
- Composite wood (100 percent not covered by other categories)
- Ceilings, walls, thermal and acoustic insulation (100 percent)
- Furniture (>90 percent by cost)
- Exterior-applied products for school and health-care projects only (>90 percent by volume)
Option 2: Budget Calculation Method
If some products in a category do not meet the criteria, project teams may use the budget calculation method. Points are given for percentage compliance under this method. The budget method organizes the building interior into six assemblies:
- Flooring
- Ceilings
- Walls
- Thermal and acoustic insulation
- Furniture and
- Exterior applied products
Include furniture in the calculations if it is part of the scope of work. Walls, ceilings, and flooring are defined as building interior products; each layer of the assembly, including paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants, must be evaluated for compliance. Insulation is tracked separately.
Low-emitting insulation products can include:
- Light-density fiberglass batts and rolls, including acoustic insulation
- Unbonded loosefill
- Formaldehyde-free mineral wool insulation
- XPS foam board
- Ductboard
- Pipe insulation
- Metal building insulation
- Duct liner and wrap
Acoustic Performance
Acoustic performance is imperative in environments such as schools and health care where learning and privacy, respectively, are of utmost concern. For schools, there is a prerequisite to provide classrooms that facilitate communication through effective acoustic design for background noise, exterior noise, and reverberation time. There are two options for credits.
- Option 1: For each room, confirm that the surface area of acoustic wall panels, ceiling finishes, and other sound-absorbent finishes equals or exceeds the total ceiling area of the room. Materials must meet NRC of 0.70 or higher to be included in the calculation.
- Option 2: Confirm through calculations in ANSI Standard S12.60-2010 that rooms are designed to meet reverberation time requirements as specified in that standard.
In new construction, provide workspaces and classrooms that promote occupants’ well-being, productivity, and communications through effective acoustic design. For occupied spaces, the project must meet requirements for HVAC background noise, sound isolation, reverberation time, and sound reinforcement and masking.
In health-care facilities, provide appropriate spaces that promote occupants’ privacy, enhanced healing, and improved communications through effective acoustic design. There are two possible credits.
- Option 1: Speech Privacy, Sound Isolation, and Background Noise (one point)
- Option 2: Acoustical Finishes and Site Exterior Noise (one point)
Evolving Green Rating Programs
Beyond LEED, more programs are evolving to encourage sustainable design, such as the previously mentioned Living Building Challenge and Well Building Standard. The Living Building Challenge and Living Product Challenge call for the creation of building projects at all scales that operate as cleanly, beautifully, and efficiently as nature’s architecture. Projects must meet a series of ambitious performance requirements, including net-zero energy, waste, and water.
The Well Building Standard, administered by the International WELL Building Institute, calls for building features that impact health and well-being and are third-party certified by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which administers LEED certification and LEED professional credentialing. These programs are advancing the use of healthier products through stringent requirements related to chemical content and emissions, in addition to material extraction and reuse. Just like the LEED program has, they will continue to evolve and expand as consumers, building occupants, and the industry demand a more sustainable environment and healthier buildings.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS SPECIFIED FOR NEW WORLD TRADE CENTER CONSTRUCTION
The World Trade Center (WTC) site is arguably the most extraordinary construction site anywhere in the world. More than a decade after the tragic September 11, 2001 attacks, rebuilding the 16-acre WTC site in lower Manhattan represents a momentous undertaking. From innovative architectural design and engineering precision to thoughtful product specification and world-class workmanship, every step of the reconstruction process reflects a commitment to excellence. Ultimately, the new WTC site is comprised of five elements, including five new skyscrapers (One, Two, Three, Four, and Seven WTC), the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, 550,000 square feet of retail space, and a Performing Arts Center.
Products from a leading manufacturer of commercial building materials, glass fiber reinforcements, and engineered materials for composite systems were specified in several WTC sites, including One World Trade Center, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, and the National September 11 Memorial. Product solutions were selected to deliver performance and help meet sustainable building goals. Extruded polystyrene insulation (XPS), mineral wool insulation, and corrosion-resistant glass reinforcements were incorporated into the construction of these structures.
ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER
The construction of One World Trade Center has transformed New York City’s skyline. Soaring above Manhattan at 1,776 feet, it is still America’s tallest building as of 2018—and a new, iconic New York landmark. Built on the northwest corner of the site where the twin towers once stood, the 2.6-million-square-foot building includes office space, an observation deck, world-class restaurants, and broadcast and antennae facilities.
Under the leadership of architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, structural engineers WSP Group, Tishman Construction, and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, One World Trade Center construction and operation incorporates the latest technologies and sustainable solutions to maximize efficiency and performance. In keeping with this goal, construction conforms to the LEED Gold standard.
Mineral wool insulation was specified to help support fire protection, sound control, and energy conservation in One World Trade Center. Also, the product selection contributes to the overall sustainable building goals, as mineral wool insulation products contain a minimum 70 percent recycled content that is noncombustible, inorganic, and mold resistant. With a proven history of performance for more than 30 years and extensive testing by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), noncombustible mineral wool curtain wall insulation was used in conjunction with mineral wool safing insulation to achieve outstanding fire protection in curtain wall and perimeter fire-containment systems. In addition to customized details and insulation assembly layouts provided by the manufacturer for the curtainwall, a unique insulation hanger system was also developed to make installation simple, accurate, and fast.
THE NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL
The National September 11 Memorial is located at the site of the former WTC complex. It serves as a tribute of remembrance and honor to the 2,983 victims who were killed in the September 11 attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and the February 1993 WTC bombing. Titled “Reflecting Absence,” the design by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker was selected from a worldwide design competition that included more than 5,000 entrants from 63 nations. This poignant memorial was officially unveiled on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in a dedication ceremony for victims’ families and opened to the public the following day.
Occupying an 8-acre plaza set within the footprints of the original Twin Towers, the Memorial has two recessed reflecting pools that are each nearly an acre in size and feature the largest man-made waterfalls in North America. A team of project engineers, specifiers, and representatives from Industrial Fiberglass Specialties, a full-service provider of FRP composites, spent three years perfecting the design and engineering to ensure the 600,000 gallons of water in each of the vast reflecting pools would continuously flow without any disruptions.
Industrial Fiberglass Specialties also provided the guided specifications for the quality and performance standards needed in the fire-resistant FRP composite piping system. As part of this process, it was determined that composite piping for larger-diameter sections should be specified, as it is roughly one-third the weight of stainless steel pipe, making it easy to install in the tight space constraints. Industrial Fiberglass Specialties custom fabricated 4,300 lineal feet of 12-inch and 16-inch-diameter FRP composite pipe using a dual-wound construction designed to handle corrosive water treatment chemicals and avoid the complications that might occur with some metal alloys.
To create the FRP composite pipe’s interior liner, structural wall, and exterior fire-retardant reinforcement, Industrial Fiberglass Specialties utilized corrosion-resistant glass fiber reinforcements. Both the inner and outer layers of the FRP composite pipe are reinforced with boron-free glass fiber reinforcement. Introduced to the market in the late 1990s, corrosion-resistant glass reinforcements is a proven composite product that offers excellent performance when facing harsh corrosive environments.
WORLD TRADE CENTER (WTC) TRANSPORTATION HUB
Major progress can also be seen at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub that was completed in 2016. The Hub significantly expands transit access and brings dramatic architectural beauty to downtown Manhattan.
Designed by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, the $3.9-billion hub serves as the new home to the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH). Located close to the northeast corner of the World Trade Center site at Church and Fulton streets (between Towers 2 and 3), the hub’s primary function links virtually all forms of mass transit. This includes connecting to 13 subway lines via the Fulton Street Transit Center and other terminals and linking pedestrians to the World Financial Center (WFC) and its ferries through an underground concourse. The Hub also makes the rebuilt WTC easier to access for the 250,000 daily visitors and commuters and links them to other parts of the city and region. As a result of this activity, the Port Authority expects the hub to generate $3.7 billion per year in direct economic activity.
During the 10-year construction period, approximately 10,000 construction jobs were created to bring the 800,000-square-foot transportation hub’s innovative design features to life. Notable architectural features include a largely column-free interior space with retractable 150-foot-high glass-and-steel “wings” that allow natural light to reach the rail platforms 60 feet below street level. Padilla Construction and Wolkow-Braker Roofing were among the New York City-based companies awarded contracts to work on the Transportation Hub. Wolkow-Braker Roofing installed XPS insulation, and Padilla Construction installed 170,000 square feet of moisture-resistant, 2-inch-thick, high-compressive-strength rigid foam XPS insulation in a temporary waterproofing application under the Hub’s concrete deck due to both the product’s moisture resistance and high strength in compression. This insulation was installed in a sandwich construction consisting of waterproofing membrane, drainage board, insulation and concrete.
Extruded polystyrene (XPS) rigid foam insulation is certified for recycled content and indoor air quality and once again contributes to the overall sustainability goals for the New World Trade Center site. Through its moisture resistance, it provides long-term durability and performance by retaining its high R-value. Available in a variety of compressive strengths, it is also certified by Scientific Certifications Systems (SCS) to contain a minimum of 20 percent pre-consumer recycled content. As part of the GREENGUARD Certification Program, this XPS Insulation also has achieved GREENGUARD GOLD Certification.
EDITH GREEN-WENDELL WYATT FEDERAL BUILDING (MODERNIZATION), PORTLAND
The Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in the heart of Portland is an 18-story, 525,000-square-foot facility that is home to more than 16 federal agencies and 1,200 federal employees.
The building was originally constructed in 1974 and underwent a major renovation between 2009 and 2013. Today, the building is a cornerstone of GSA’s green building portfolio with all new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and data systems designed to make it one of the most energy-efficient office buildings in the country. The work was completed by a team of Cutler Anderson Architects as the design excellence architect, SERA Architects, and Howard S. Wright Construction, who were awarded the contract in 2010.
The newly renovated Federal Building includes a number of efficient, sustainable, and innovative technologies, including mineral wool curtain wall and safing fire-containment insulation with a minimum of 70 percent recycled content that helped the building earn a LEED Platinum certification. Similar to the One World Trade Center project, a mineral wool insulation hanger system was also used. Not just for fire performance, these insulation products and solutions help conserve energy, improve acoustics, and ease installation and use.
The operationally and economically efficient high-performance building is expected to achieve a 50 percent reduction in energy use compared to the old building and a 60 percent water reduction compared to Oregon code. The facility is designed to meet the Federal Guiding Principles for High-Performing Green Buildings and the government's directives for agencies to lead by example in environmental, energy, and economic performance. Through these directives, agencies are required to meet a range of energy, water, pollution, and waste-reduction targets. Additionally, the facility is expected to achieve LEED Platinum certification for its use of cutting-edge sustainable design and technology.
Summary
Green building is about architectural and human performance—creating spaces to enhance the experience—and LEED v4 and other green programs can drive market transformation. LEED requirements are changing to increasingly emphasize materials and health, moving from a single-attribute focus to life-cycle thinking for a more holistic, transparent approach. New credits with higher standards for health and performance are raising the bar for project teams and the sustainable buildings they design.
© 2018 Owens Corning. All Rights Reserved. The color PINK is a registered trademark of Owens Corning.
End Notes
1Hermes, Jennifer. Green Building Market to Experience 13% Growth Rate through .” Environmental Leader. 17 February 2015. Web. 3 July 2018.
2World Green Building Trends 2016: Developing Markets Accelerate Global Growth.”.” SmartMarket Report. Dodge Data & Analytics. Web. 3 July 2018.
3Head, Lee Ann. Energy efficiency is king in the commercial built environment – but indoor air quality and water are gunning for the crown. .” Shelton Insights. 22 April 2015. Web. 3 July 2018.
|
Owens Corning develops, manufactures, and markets insulation, roofing, and composites. The company’s businesses use their deep expertise in materials, manufacturing, and building science to develop products and systems that save energy and improve comfort in commercial and residential buildings. Explore and interact with key industry products through our exclusive Interactive Product Spotlight on Owens Corning Enclosure Solutions. |
Notice
