Roofing Strategies Reach New Heights: Sustainable Options for a Key Building Element

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Sponsored by Quest Construction Products, Roof Products, Inc., US Tile Company

A monolithic, spray-applied polyurethane foam roof, topcoated with an acrylic/fluoropolymer for UV protection, durability and solar reflectance, covers the existing substrate at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Photo courtesy of the MGM Grand Hotel

 

 "Due to the large amount of equipment and other obstructions, the roof was an ideal application for spray-applied foam and coatings," says Van Gelder. "And most importantly, the fluoropolymer topcoat, with a Solar Reflective Index (SRI) of 110, gives the owner maximum reflectance value for the life of the system."

Potential LEED Credits for Roofing Systems

Heat Island Effect / Sustainable Site Credit 7.1 and 7.2 (1 point each)
Reduce heat island to minimize impact on microclimate and human and wildlife habitat.

Optimize Energy Performance / Energy & Atmosphere Credit (1-10 points)
Achieve increased levels of energy performance above the baseline in the prerequisite standard to reduce environmental and economic impact associated with excessive energy use.

Recycled Content / Materials and Resources / MR / Credit 4.1 and 4.2 (1 point each)
Building products that incorporate recycled content materials to increase impact
associated with extracting and processing virgin materials.

Regional Materials / Materials and Resources Credit 5.1 and 5.2 (1 point each)
Use of building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region, supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the environmental impact resulting from transportation.

Design / Innovation In Design Credit 1.1 and 1.4 (1-4 points)
Design teams and projects have the opportunity to be awarded points for exceptional performance above the requirements set by the LEED-NC Green Building System and/or innovative performance in Green Building categories not specifically addressed by the LEED-NC Green Building Rating System.

Design / Innovation In Design Special Credit / Cradle To Cradle (1 point)
A special LEED point for innovation in design has been awarded for projects that use Cradle to Cradle certified products that constitute 2.5 percent of the overall material cost of the project.

Construction Waste Management - Materials & Resource (MR) Credit 2.1 and 2.2 (1 point each)
Divert construction and demolition debris from disposal in landfils. Redirect recyclable recovered resources back to the manufacturing process or to appropriate sites.
• 2.1 - Recycle and/or salvage at least 50 percent of non-hazardous construction and demolition debris.

 

Conclusion

As the quest for green buildings heats up, architects have a key asset in cool roofing strategies. Traditional materials, technological advances, and combinations thereof, offer an increasing array of aesthetic, sustainable options in roofing systems.

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in July 2009

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