LEED Materials and Resources Flashcards
A project has construction debris that is nonrecyclable waste. Which of the following actions can the project team take with the waste that will help the project with construction waste management? A. Waste-to-energy B. Send it to a landfill C. Exclude it from the credit calculations D. Bury it on site
A. Waste-to-energy - Waste-to-energy is the conversion of nonrecyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolization, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas (LFG) recovery
For new construction projects, which of the following tools enable the project team to understand the environmental impact of a building over its entire life? A. Cradle-to grave life cycle analysis (LCA) B. ENERGY STAR rating C. LEED Online D. EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
A. Cradle-to grave life cycle analysis (LCA)
What should be included in a construction waste management plan? A. New technologies and materials that will help reduce waste B. The distance products were purchased from the construction site C. If any construction waste materials to be recycled will be commingled or separated D. Which existing building materials - if any - will be reused
C. If any construction waste materials to be recycled will be commingled or separated
What are the environmental benefits of using salvaged wood flooring in a residential project? A. The wood flooring will have a lower cost since it did not have to be extracted from a forest B. The wood flooring will have a lower installation cost C. The wood flooring will increase the tax base of the local economy D. The wood flooring will reduce the demand for virgin resources
D. The wood flooring will reduce the demand for virgin resources
A construction waste management plan should address what items? A. A target diversion rate and what materials should be diverted from the waste stream B. The disposal of hazardous materials and corporate sustainability reporting C. Where onsite waste can be incinerated and where certified wood can be procured D. A community recycling program and source reduction
A. A target diversion rate and what materials should be diverted from the waste stream
The project owner of an office park wants to make sure that once a tenant leaves, the tenant space can be quickly and easily renovated. How would the project team meet this goal? A. By selecting a waste hauler that has enough hauling capacity B. By designing for flexibility C. By selecting materials that are sized appropriately D. By finding contractors who are willing to work on weekends
B. By designing for flexibility - Designing for flexibility helps reduce construction waste and the need for new building materials. It also allows renovations to occur more quickly because modular systems are frequently used.
How can an architect make sure that the general contractor understands what products to include in a project? A. Send the contractor an email B. Tell the contractor during the LEED charrette C. Include the specifications in the purchasing policy D. Select the materials to use in LEED online
C. Include the specifications in the purchasing policy
An environmental product declaration (EPD) for LEED must conform to which of the following standards? A. Green-e B. ASHRAE C. Local code or jurisdiction D. ISO
D. ISO - The International Standards Organization (ISO) standards are used for EPDs in LEED.
REACH Optimization would be used in which of the following credit categories? A. Indoor Environmental Quality B. Materials and Resources C. Energy and Atmosphere D. Location and Transportation
B. Materials and Resources - REACH is the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. REACH requires all companies manufacturing or importing chemical substances into the European Union in quantities of one ton or more per year to register these substances.
A manufacturer has a carpet tile that includes an environmental product declaration (EPD) and health product declaration (HPD). The manufacturer has also published a corporate sustainability report (CSR). Which of the following do these documents aid?
A. Transparency B. Material design optimization C. Reducing product costs D. Improving the community
A. Transparency
What do the credits in the Materials and Resources (MR) category focus on? A. Minimizing the embodied impacts associated with the entire life-cycle of building materials B. Helping project teams select materials that have the most environmental benefits at the least cost C. Selecting materials that are more energy efficient than traditional building materials D. Reducing the quantity of materials used on a project
A. Minimizing the embodied impacts associated with the entire life-cycle of building materials
What is true regarding carpet made from recycled milk jugs? (Choose 2) A. The carpet contains post-consumer recycled content B. The carpet is more durable than conventional carpets C. The material would reduce the need for virgin materials D. The carpet has lower life cycle costs than conventional carpets
A. The carpet contains post-consumer recycled content C. The material would reduce the need for virgin materials
Which of the following exemplify strategies of reducing harm to the environment over a building’s entire life? (Choose 3) A. Tearing down a building and putting up a more energy-efficient one in its place B. Developing a new building on prime farmland C. Using salvaged flooring in a new building D. Restoring a historic building E. Conducting a life-cycle assessment to help reduce a building’s environmental footprint
C. Using salvaged flooring in a new building
D. Restoring a historic building
E. Conducting a life-cycle assessment to help reduce a building’s environmental footprint
When selecting windows for a building project, along with performance and adaptability, what else should the project team consider?
A. The social context of the windows B. Reusing old windows C. Leverage points in the windows D. Embodied energy of the windows
D. Embodied energy of the windows - Embodied energy is an accounting methodology which aims to find the sum total of the energy necessary for an entire product lifecycle. This lifecycle includes raw material extraction, transport, manufacture, assembly, installation, disassembly, deconstruction and/or decomposition.
When reviewing products in the integrative design, which of the following are preferable material attributes that should be considered? (Choose 2) A. Being created in the same or neighboring countries B. Durability C. Supporting the local economy D. Being assembled in factories that pay below average wages
B. Durability - Durable materials last longer, reducing the demand for new materials.
C. Supporting the local economy - Materials extracted and manufactured locally support the local economy and are preferable to materials from farther away.
Selecting products that have been developed with a sustainable design is an example of: A. Source reduction B. Waste diversion C. Reuse D. Recycling
A. Source reduction
Source reduction reduces the materials brought into a building. This includes products that have reduced packaging and products developed with sustainable design principles.
A floor covering that can be recycled into a new product at the end of its useful life would be what type of product? A. Cradle to grave B. Passive C. Cradle to cradle D. Renewable
C. Cradle to cradle - Cradle to cradle is a term used in life-cycle analysis to describe a material or product that is recycled into a new product at the end of its useful life. Cradle to cradle is an example of a closed system.
For what purpose would a project team do a life-cycle assessment? A. To compare the raw materials of different products B. To understand the trade-offs of material selection and energy performance C. To measure the VOC content between different paints D. To calculate a project’s indoor baseline water use
B. To understand the trade-offs of material selection and energy performance - One reason to do an LCA of a building is to be able to compare different material choices and see how they impact the project over the building’s life.
Which of the following are the environmental benefits of reusing a building? (Choose 2) A. Preserves a site’s historical, cultural, and aesthetic values B. Increases water efficiency C. Makes landfills last longer D. Reduces demands on virgin resources E. Reduces CFCs
C. Makes landfills last longer - Reuse - whether a building or material - prevents the building or material from ending up in the landfill, extending the landfill’s life.
D. Reduces demands on virgin resources - Because less new materials are required, virgin resources are preserved
Which of the following strategies should a hospital project choose to extend the life of the building and conserve building resources as the surrounding population grows? A. Site the building in a dense area B. Design rooms with modular systems C. Purchase additional land on which to construct additional buildings D. Select low-emitting materials
B. Design rooms with modular systems
Which of the following legally binding documents describe the quality of the materials to be used on the project? A. Cradle-to-Grave Analysis B. Specifications C. Health Product Declaration (HPD) D. Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
B. Specifications - Specifications are created by architects and given to the contractor for the purposes of purchasing the right quantity and type of materials. Specifications include drawings of what is to be built. They are legally binding documents.
A project team for a school project is designing classrooms that will improve the learning experience. Which of the following building components meet this goal while maintaining preferable life-cycle impacts? A. Refurbished desks that contain recycled content B. Single-pane glazing C. Reused acoustic tiles D. New polyester carpet tiles
C. Reused acoustic tiles - School projects have a prerequisite for acoustics. This choice is a reused product, which is preferable because it doesn’t require any raw material extraction.
A large home builder is developing a new neighborhood with 200 homes. What strategies would help the builder save on material costs and conserve materials? (Choose 3) A. Choose products made in factories that support worker health B. Advanced framing C. Reducing hallways D. Low VOC paints E. Structural insulated panels F. Select products that ship with less packaging
B. Advanced framing
C. Reducing hallways
E. Structural insulated panels