CH 26 Sustainability Flashcards
This law was enacted to give the EPA the authority to track and regulate over 75,000 industrial chemicals produced or imported into the US. It allows the EPA to ban the manufacturer and import of those chemicals that pose an unreasonable risk
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976
a product that can be grown, naturally replenished, or cleaned at a rate that exceeds human depletion of the resource is a:
Renewable product
The following are ways to reduce __________ ________ : reduce the power required for lighting by designing task/ambient systems or utilizing daylighting; have the electrical engineer set up non-emergency lighting on a programmable timer that turns lighting off during non-business hours, and include a manual override capability; specify daylight -responsive controls in all occupied spaces within 15 ft of windows and under skylights; specify high-reflectance finishes to improve the brightness provided by daylighting; specify appliances and equipment that are energy efficient, if the building owner approves, specify submetering equipment to measure and record energy uses within a tenant space
Electricy use
Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability (MTS) oversees:
the SMaRt program
Scrap or trim materials generated in manufacturing process that have been recovered or derived from solid waste
are called:
post industrial (or pre consumer) materials
ASTM D6670, Standard Practice for Full-Scale Chamber Determination of Volatile Organic Emissions from Indoor Materials/Products details:
the method to be used to determine the VOC emissions from building materials, furniture, consumer products, and equipment under environmental and product usage conditions that are typical of those found in office and residential buildings. Standard way to determine the level of VOC emissions.
maintaining health is an important aspect of sustainable design. The air can affect peoples sense of well-being .
Indoor air quality (IAQ)
Post consumer, post industrial, recovered is called:
Recycled content
an independent, nonprofit organization that strives to achieve a more sustainable world by promoting environmentally responsible production, purchasing, and products.
Green Seal
Glass fiber insulation can contain:
30% post consumer recycled glass
Negatives of sisal wallcovering?
Rough and not suitable for wet areas
This process provides the methodology to evaluate the environmental impact of using a particular material or product in a building.
Life-cycle assessment (LCA)
ASHRAE Standard 62-2001, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality is an industry standard and, as such complianced is __________. In addition to setting minimum outdoor air requirements for ventilation, the standards includes provisions for managing sources of contamination, controlling indoor humidity, and filtering building air, as well as requirements for HVAC system construction and startup, and operation and maintenance of systems.
Voluntary
CRI is the:
Carpet and Rug Institute (pg 4-12)
Plastic derived from hardested corn that is biodegradable. Used in carpet fibers.
Polylactide
This law was enacted to give the EPA the authority to track and regulate over 75,000 industrial chemicals produced or imported into the US. It allows the EPA to ban the manufacturer and import of those chemicals that pose an unreasonable risk
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976
a British organization that provides research-based consultancy, testing, and certification services covering all aspects of the built environment and associated industries
Building Research Establishment (BRE)
Program of the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to provide tools and resources to assist architects, business owners, and others involved in the building process to design, build, commission and manage projects in ways that save energy.
Energy Star (4-2)
What are the 2 negatives to ceramic tile in regard to sustainability?
- High embodied energy required to produce 2. Transportation costs to get it from the factory to job site (pg 4-13)
a national consensus-based building rating system designed to accelerate the development and implementation of green building practices. There are 4 possible certifications levels; certified, silver, gold,and platinum. There are rating systems for commercial interiors, new construction, existing buildings, core and shell development, homes, and neighborhood development.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
a national coalition of leaders from all aspects of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible and profitable and that provide healthy places to live and work is tcalled the:
US Green Building Council
CPSC stands for:
Consumer Product Safety Commission
type of plastic that allows polyolefins to be precisely manufactured to have specific properties
Metallocene polyolefins
Program that promotes the marketplace visibility of sustainable products, services and organizations.
UL Environment: a program of the Underwriters Laboratories
Pour in insulation, acosutic finishes, fire protection, sound deadening are all uses for:
Vermiculite
Nonprofit organization devoted to encouraging responsible management of worlds forests
Forest Stewardship Council
What is recycled wood from old buildings or structures that has been salvaged and prepared for a new use
Reclaimed wood
What types of products should be examined for VOC content?
Adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings, carpet systems, composite wood and laminate adhesives, systems furniture & seating
3 classifications (ailments) of poor IAQ are:
(1) Sick building syndrome (2) Building Related Illnesses (3) Multiple chemical sensitivities
This rule implements part of the Clean Air Act and sets limits on the amount of volatile organic compounds that manufacturers and importers architectural coatings can put into their products
National VOC Emission Standards for Architectural Coatings (40 CFR Part 59)
a nonprofit, industry-independent organization that oversees the Greenguard Certification Program
Greenguard Environmental Institute
Sustainability of Concrete…
Requires substantial energy to produce, however has a long life and can be recycled as crushed aggregate. Does not emit any pollutants (except with some admixtures). Sustainability increases with the use of fly ash, which is a waste material coal plants.
Made by slicing readily available fast-growing trees into veneers, dyeing the veneer, and then gluig them together to create an artificial log. Log sliced to produce a variety of veneers
composite wood veneer
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (US Environmental Protection Agency does what?
implements part of the Clean Air Act
This rule implements part of the Clean Air Act and sets limits on the amount of volatile organic compounds that manufacturers and importers architectural coatings can put into their products
National VOC Emission Standards for Architectural Coatings (40 CFR Part 59)
Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)
Canada’s version of LEED
Main source of synthetic gypsum in North America
Flue-gas desulfurization - process whereby power-generating plants remove polluting gases from their stacks to reduce emissions of harmful materials into the atmosphere. (pg 4-14)
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used to manufacture:
carpet with properties similar to polyesters
What is phase 3 of the Life-Cycle assessment?
Impact assessment which attempts to characterize the effects of the processes found in phase 2 in terms of their impacts on the environment. (pg 4-7)
a national consensus-based building rating system designed to accelerate the development and implementation of green building practices. There are 4 possible certifications levels; certified, silver, gold,and platinum. There are rating systems for commercial interiors, new construction, existing buildings, core and shell development, homes, and neighborhood development.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Water conservation products should:
reduce water consumption in a building and in landscaping
Made from volcanic rock expanded by heat. And lightweight aggregate
Perlite
ASTM E2114
Standard Terminology for Sustainability Relative to the Performance of Buildings
design the tenants portion of the HVAC to conform to th ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, or the local energy code. whichever is more stringent; do not use any mechanical system components for the tenant space that includes CFC-based refrigerants; if possible, use displacement ventilation are
Actions the id can take to reduce energy consumption with mechanical systems
C2C
(MBDC) Cradle to Cradle (pg 4-5)
3 major considerations for sustainability when using carpet
- raw-material use 2. raw-material disposal 3. indoor air quality
What plastics are better to specify?
Compostable; like Polyethylene terephthalate or PET (soft-drink containers) pg 4-11
Standard Practice for Data Collection for Sustainability Assessment of Building Products
ASTM E2129
product standard for paints
Green Seal GS-11
This rule limits the VOC content of architectural coatings used in the South Coast Air Quality Management District in California. Rule 1168 limits the VOC content of adhesives and sealants.
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113, Architectural Coatings
Made from denim scrap material. Low embodied energy
Cotton Insulation
evaluates the performance of buildings in the areas of management, energy use, health and well being, pollution, transportation, land use, ecology, materials, and water use.
BREEAM
International Standards Organization (ISO)
a nongovernmental organization comprised of natioanl standards bodies fro over 120 countries
3 types of adhesives
- Dry adhesives - contain resins stored in capsules released by pressure 2. Water-based adhesives - contain latex or polyvinyl acetate 3. Natural adhesives - contain plant resins in a water dispersion system (pgs 4-11 and 4-12)
Spray on cellulose
should contain 75% post consumer recovered paper
What can be made from recycled materials such as tire rubber and synthetic and natural fiber from textile mill waste?
Carpet padding (pg 4-12)
CHPS
Collaborative for High Performance Schools (pg 4-2)
Benefits of using more durable materials:
Even though the initial cost may be higher more durable materials should be looked at in the total life cycle cost. Because of higher maintenance or disposal cost the long term cost may be lower than a less durable material.
Low toxicity
Materials should be selected that emit few or no harmful gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), formaldehyde, and others listed on the EPA’s list of hazardous substances
ISO 14020
a set of principles that must be followed by any practitioner of environmental labeling
ASTM E1991
Standard Guide for Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Building Materials/Products
What problems are not categorized in the basic three classifications for symptoms of poor indoor air quality?
Problems with asbestos, led and radon are serious, long-term problems (pg 4-20)
Benefits of Bamboo?
Hard and twice as stable as red oak or maple (pg 4-13)
What are some of the benefits of linoleum?
Durable, biodegradable, waterproof, fire resistant, naturally antibacterial and does not generate static electricity. (pg 4-13)
Green Seal GS-13
product standard for windows
contains 70% post consume paper waste, loose filled form. Low embodied energy.
Cellulose insulation
ASTM D6670, Standard Practice for Full-Scale Chamber Determination of Volatile Organic Emissions from Indoor Materials/Products
details the method to be used to determine the VOC emissions from building materials, furniture, consumer products, and equipment under environmental and product usage conditions that are typical of those found in office and residential buildings. Standard way to determine the level of VOC emissions.
Standard Terminology for Sustainability Relative to the Performance of Buildings
ASTM E2114
What are the two new developments in plastics?
- Bioplastics - a biodegradable plastic derived from harvested corn 2. Metallocene pholyolefins - can replace other more harmful plastics as they are manufactured to have the specific properties of the more harmful plastics (pg 4-11)
What refrigerants should not be used in mechanical systems?
CFC-based (pg 4-16)
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)
a private organization established to advance both public and private sectors toward more environmentally sustainable policies
Use and Maintenance
installation or construction of the product into the building; long-term use of the product throughout its life of the building’s; maintenance and repair of the product throughout its life
The building systems that require commissioning depend on the complexity of the building and the needs of the owner. May include…
Mechanical systems, including heating and cooling equipment, air handling equipment, distribution system, pumps, sensors and controls, dampers, and cooling tower operation; electrical systems, including switchgear, controls, emergency generators, fire management, and safety systems; plumbing systems, including tanks, pumps, water heaters, compressors,, and fixtures; sprinkle systems, including standpipes, alarms, hose cabinets, and controls; fire management and life safety systems, including alarms and detectors, air handling equipment, smoke dampers, and building communication; vertical transportation, including elevator controls and escalators; telecommunications and computer networks
How do you get an Energy Star label?
After one year’s worth of energy performance is obtained, the project’s energy use is compared with other similar facilities on a scale of 1-100. Scoring 75 and over will achieve the label. (pg 4-2)
Positive to ceramic tile?
- Natural material 2. Durable 3. Produces practically no harmful emissions 4. Requires very little maintenance (pg 4-13)
Spray application fireproofing asbestos was banned in
1973
The heat needed to produce a change of state in a material (melting ice). It does NOT heat the surroundings.
Latent Heat
Criteria for Evaluating Building Materials: Criteria of Renewable materials
material is sustainable if it comes from sources that can renew themselves within a fairly short time. (examples wool carpets, bamboo flooring and paneling, straw board…etc) pg 4-8
What does ANSI.ASHRAE.IESNA Standard 90.1 refer to?
Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings (or local building code, whichever is more stringent)
ASTM D6803
used for testing paint using small environmental chambers
ISO 14024
covers labeling programs and specifies the procedures and principles that third party certifiers, or ecolabelers, must follow
Plumbing
specify low flow fixtures and other strategies to reduce water consumption
The material or product should require as little energy as possible for its extraction as a raw material, initial processing, and subsequent manufacture or fabrication into a finished building product.
Criteria of Embodied energy
Greenguard Environmental Institute
tests products following ASTM Standards D5116 and D6670, the EPA’s testing protocol for furniture, and the State of Washington’s protocol for interior furnishings and construction materials.
Process of inspecting, testing, starting up, and adjusting building systems and then verifying and documenting that they are operating as intended and meet the design criteria of contract documents.
Building commissioning (pg 4-15)
Fluegas desulfurization
the main source of synthetic gypsum in North America. The process whereby power power generating plants (and similar plants remove polluting gases from their stacks to reduce emission of harmful materials into the atmosphere
Good raw materials?
polyester and nylon-blended carpet made from recycled soft-drink containers (PET) or wool (pg 4-12)
Establishes criteria in four areas: energy, human and ecosystem health, natural resources, and corporate social responsibility.
BIFMA e3-2008, Furniture Sustainability Standard (pg 4-3)
Bagasse
the residue from the processing of sugar cane
Products are certified at one of four levels in SMaRT
Sustainable, Sustainable Silver, Sustainable gold and Sustainable Platinum (pg 4-5)
product standard for windows
Green Seal GS-13
4 broad categories to reduce energy consumption?
- Building Commissioning 2. Mechanical systems 3. Electricity use 4. Plumbing (pg 4-15)
has a voluntary testing program under which manufacturers have their carpet tested by an independent agency for four emissions types: total VOC, styrene, formaldhyde, and 4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PC)
Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)
What does PLA stand for?
Polylactide, which is a biodegradable plastic derived from corn.
a hydrated laminar magnesium-aluminum-ironsilicate that resembles mica. Some obtained from a mine in Montana is known to contain some amount of asbestos. Some attic insulation may contain asbestos as well.
Vermiculite
Renewable materials
A material is sustainable if it come from sources that can renew themselves within a fairly short time.
4 categories for which an Interior Designer can implement to maintain good Indoor air quality
- Eliminate or reduce the sources of pollution 2. Control the ventilation of the building 3. Establish good maintenance procedures 4. Control occupant activity as it affects indoor air quality
Suggests how to reduce the environmental impact of all the raw materials, energy, and processing required to produce the product or construction activity.
Improvement Analysis
What are the four emissions from carpet that the CRI tests for?
- Total VOC 2. Styrene 3. Formaldehyde 4. 4-phenycyclohexene (4-PC)
NESHAP stands for:
National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
an international body that oversees the development of national and regional standards based on basic forest management principles and criteria
What label can carpet carry after passing the CRI test?
Green Label Plus (pg 4-12)
BIFMA
The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (pg 4-3)
an international body that oversees the development of national and regional standards based on basic forest management principles and criteria
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
A voluntary industry standard that gives information on minimum energy efficiency standards; building enevelope requirements; zone isolation; floor, ceiling, and roof insulation; and powerallowance calculation. It is written in mandatory enforceable language suitable for code adoption.
ASHRAE Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65)
This law prohibits businesses from discharging chemicals that cause cancer or reproductive harm into sources of drinking water and requires that warning be given to such chemicals.
The ability of a previously used material to be used as a resource in the manufacturer of a new product
Recyclablility
Methylene-diphenyl isocyanate (MDI)
resins that does not emit toxic gasses during use and requires less dryer energy and lower press temperatures than do traditional binders
SMaRT
Sustainable Materials Rating Technology (pg 4-5)
Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)
This document gives exposure limits for chemicals in the workplace, called threshold limit values (TLVs)
What does MCS stand for?
Multiple chemical sensitivity
Criteria of Embodied energy
The material or product should require as little energy as possible for its extraction as a raw material, initial processing, and subsequent manufacture or fabrication into a finished building product.
What type of ventilation should be used if possible?
Diplacement ventilation - air distribution system in which supply air originates at floor level and rises to return-air grilles in the ceiling, because supply is delivered closer to users so does not have to be cooled as much, and removes heat generated by ceiling-level lights and improve indoor air quality as systems use a large amount of outdoor air. (pg 4-13)
