Green Building Practices

For Wood Frame Construction

Engineered Wood, Sustainability

and Green Building Practices

Learning Objectives

After this session, you will be equipped to :

Define and Discuss Sustainability Issues

Compare construction materials for “green”

compatibility

Identify and select various Green Rating Tools

Compare/contrast Green Building Programs

Evaluate various EWP products based on the

deconstruction/reconstruction principle

Discuss EWP framing systems recognized as

“green” by current Green Build programs.

Energy Facts

Energy doesn’t grow on trees

Decisions are now being made based on

energy costs and sustainability

A New Vocabulary

Sustainability RenewabilityLife Cycle

Costs

Carbon Sequestration

Carbon Footprint

Embodied Energy

A New Vocabulary

BuildingGreen

LEEDGreen

Building Standard

Green Globes

Charrette

Components of Green Building

Resource Efficiency

Energy Efficiency

Environmental Impact

Renewable Resources?

Wood Concrete Steel

Insulating Value? Yes NO NO

Renewable? Yes NO NO

Low Energy Cost to produce?

Yes NO NO

Purifies the air? Yes NO NO

Potentially Unlimited Supply?

Yes NO NO

Forestry FactsWood is renewable and sustainable

Source: APA

Wood is Good for the

environment

US Raw Material Production and Total Energy Used

Source: APA

Nature’s Air Purifier!

A growing forest produces 1 ton of oxygen and absorbs 1.4 tons of carbon for every ton of wood

Mature trees slow in their absorption rate of CO2

Harvesting insures that the carbon is locked in the wood (Carbon Sequestration) .

Decaying trees release stored carbon back into the atmosphere

New trees with rapid absorption rates can be replanted to continue this air purification.

Source: APA

Benefits of Wood vs. Steel and

Concrete

high insulating and acoustic properties

recycling and resource recovery rates

low pollution rates in harvesting and milling

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html

Lifecycle Analysis

Resource Extraction

Manufacturing

Onsite Construction

Building Occupancy & Maintenance

Building Demolition

Disposal, Reuse or Recycling

Source:

http://www.athenasmi.org/

about/lcaModel.html

Comparison of Materials

5 times more energy to produce 1

ton of cement ·

14 times more energy to produce 1 ton of glass.

24 times more energy to produce 1 ton of steel.

126 times more energy to produce 1

ton of aluminum.

Source: APA

LCA Wood vs. Steel and Concrete

CORRIM Study Results:

Wood vs. Steel: 17% embodied energy

savings with wood

Wood vs. Concrete: 16% embodied

energy savings with wood

www.CORRIM.org

Lifecycle Analysis:

the environmental proof of wood*

Source: Athena Institute. http://www.athenasmi.org* Sullivan and Horwitz-Bennett, Using wood for sustainable design&construction

Sustainability Attribute

• Total Energy Use

• Greenhouse Gases

• Air Pollution

• Water Pollution

• Solid Waste

• Ecological Resource Use

Wood

• Lowest

• Lowest

• Lowest

• Lowest

• Lowest

• Lowest

Steel

• + 140%

• +45%

• +42%

• +1900%

• +36%

• +16%

Concrete

• +70%

• +81%

• +67%

• +90%

• +96%

• +97%

Not all engineered products are

created “green”-equal

Green Building Programs-

Who’s in the “LEED”

National Programs

USGBC/L.E.E.D. Leadership in Energy

and Environmental Design

NAHB/Green Building Standard

Green Building Initiative/Green Globes

USGBC/L.E.E.D. for Homes

Mission:

Promote sustainable building

Top 25% of Homeshttp://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3638

Best Environmental Features

Promote Green Residential Builders

Promote Green Commercial Building

USGBC/L.E.E.D.

Categories

InnovationLocation & Linkages

Sustainable Sites

Water Efficiency

Energy & Atmosphere

Material & Resources

Indoor Air Quality

Awareness and

Education

USGBC/L.E.E.D.

Points adjusted for larger/smaller homes

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Certified

USGBC/L.E.E.D.

How to Participate

Join

Identify project team (Charrette)

Build the home

Certify

Sell

Repeat…

NAHB Green Building Program

HBA driven

Online scoring tool

Based on GB Guidelines document

Foundation for HBA programs

Residential ISO Standard -2008

NAHB Green Building Program

Lot Design, Preparation, Development

Resource Efficiency

Energy Efficiency

Water EfficiencyIndoor

Environmental Quality

Operation, Maintenance, Homeowner Education

Global Impact

NAHB Green Building Program

Emerald

Gold

Silver

Bronze

NAHB Green Building Program

Builder ParticipationCalculate your score

Forward to Green Verifier

Build and verify Green Status

Certify Home

Test and Inspect

Build again

Green Building Initiative

MissionAccelerate best building practices

Green Globes (commercial construction)

Integrates use of Athena EcoCalculator

ANSI Standard for assessment of Commercial

Buildings

Promotes NAHB program to HBA’s

National Program Similarities

Checklist based

3rd party verification required

Similar categories addressed:

Resource efficiency

Energy efficiency

Framing recommendation similar:

Advanced Framing and O.V.E.

Designed to create marketing

opportunities

National Program Differences

NAHB program requires environmental

management systems for manufacturer

and builder- ISO 14001

FSC the only forestry certification for

LEED. (USGBC position under review)

NAHB recognizes multiple certifications.

LEED predominantly paper based, NAHB

and Globes are web-based programs.

Regional Green Building Programs

Wisconsin Green Built Home

http://wi-ei.org/greenbuilt/

New construction, remodeling,

multifamily, waterfront programs

Wisconsin Energy Star or REScheck +15

levels

Based on points checklist

Minimum 10% 3rd party verified

Regional Green Building Programs

Minnesota Green Star

http://www.mngreenstar.org/

New construction and remodeling

Certified, Silver, Gold levels

Based on a points checklist

All 3rd party verified

The Big “3” for wood frame:

Summary Categories

Resource Efficiency

Energy Efficiency

Environmental Impact

Finding a Fit for Fiber:

Determining Optimum Value is

A Manufacturer’s Responsibility

Resource Efficiency

The Principle:

Best And Highest Use

Resource Efficiency

Resource Efficient

products used in an

Energy Efficient

Manner

Energy Efficiency

Interplay between the wood frame system

and the thermal envelope

Energy Efficiency

Protect the environment as you conduct

your business

• NAHB Program requirement: “the product

line, plant, or company must be ISO

14001 certified.”

Environment

EWP Applications meeting Green

Building Guidelines- Resource Efficiency

Life Cycle Assessment Tool

Download EcoCalculator at:

http://www.athenasmi.org/index.html

EWP Applications meeting Green

Building Guidelines- Resource Efficiency

Resource EfficiencyUse OVE/Advanced Framing

4’ and 2 Modules

Wider o/c Spacing

More Insulation

Eliminate thermal bridging

Single top plates

2 stud corners with drywall clips

P.E.T.

Construction layouts

EWP Applications meeting Green

Building Guidelines-Resource Efficiency

Resource Efficiency Applications- EWP

Wide Flange I Joists

24 oc performance

Framing layouts

Panelize

P.E.T.

EWP Applications meeting Green

Building Guidelines- Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency Requirements: Increase R

Value in the building envelope

Applications:

Remove wood, decrease thermal bridging,

increase insulation…..how?

Use wide flange, heavy duty I joists at 24

oc., 1 ¾” wide face studs for walls.

Stack roof framing over wall framing over

floor framing in a 24” oc module.

Use energy efficient materials when possible.

Advanced Framing Techniques

EWP Applications meeting

Green Building GuidelinesEnvironmental Impact

ISO 14001 Environmental Management

System

Defined: An objectively verifiable

declaration of your intended

environmental management system.

Summary

WOOD

Clearly superior building material

EWP provides optimum performance

opportunities

Not all Engineered Wood is created

GREEN equal.

Learning Objectives

Did we????????

Define and Discuss Sustainability Issues

Compare construction materials for “green”

compatibility

Identify and select various Green Rating Tools

Compare/contrast Green Building Programs

Evaluate various EWP products based on the

deconstruction/reconstruction principle

Discuss EWP framing systems recognized as

“green” by current Green Build programs.

Green Building Practices

For Wood Frame Construction

Engineered Wood, Sustainability

and Green Building Practices