-
Generally standard practice, anyway
In general, complying with this prerequisite is standard practice in most urban and suburban areas, where most or all of the EPA Construction General PermitEPA's Construction General Permit. Outlines the provisions necessary to comply with Phase I and Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. (CGPEPA's Construction General Permit. Outlines the provisions necessary to comply with Phase I and Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program.) requirements have been...
Step-by-step credit help
Got the gist of the LEED credit but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Members get:
- Checklists covering all the key action steps you'll need to earn the credit.
- Hot tips to give you shortcuts and avoid pitfalls.
- Cost tips to assess what a credit will actually cost, and how to make it affordable.
- Ideas for going beyond LEED with best practices.
- All checklists organized by project phase.
- On-the-fly suggestions on useful items from the Documentation Toolkit, Resources, and Credit Language.
-
Credit language straight from USGBC
Need to check up on the exact LEED credit language from the LEED Rating System on the fly? LEEDuser includes the verbatim language. Members get:
- Easy access to the official LEED credit language with just a couple of clicks.
- On the jobsite without your bulky LEED Reference Guide? Check up on the credit language details here.
- Credit language content is used by permission of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Your credit-by-credit reference library
Why waste time chasing down referenced standards and supporting resources when LEEDuser links you directly to the ones you need? LEEDuser has gathered all the best tools out there and organized them by credit for easy reference. Members get links to:
- Organizations that can give information or help on a credit.
- Standards or studies that are key reference points for credits and prerequisites.
- Articles that help explain important topics.
- Key documents or references for credit inputs.
- Software tools you can use to run calculations or simulations.
Documentation Toolkit
In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:
- Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
- Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
- Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
- Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
- Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
- Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.
28 Comments
Scaffolding (release agent)
People use this liquid on scaffolding so when concrete is cured scaffolding can be removed.
I don't know the exact translation of this (desmoldante we say in spanish), but I think the idea is clear.
Can this liquid be somehow considered as a soil pollutant?
If instead of scaffolding, we use wood, is this wood considered a contaminated waste?
Any comments will be really appreciated. Regards
Water filtration
How much filtration is required when discharging rainwater that contains suspended solids?
We have some rainwater acumulation and we would like to know if a simple screening will be enough. For example will a piece of a not woven geotextile at the end of the piping retaining solids be enough?, or do we need to do something else?
Any suggestion will be appreciated.
LEED Certification for Condominiums
Dear,
I have one question, which LEED certification system fit hundred percent residential condominiums?
Paola, LEED for Homes is the right rating system for a residential development like this. However, LEED for Homes is not available internationally yet, except for a pilot in China and the Middle East.
Right,
I understand and I Agree.
Can I pursue certification CS, once they acquired pre-certification for this project?
That would be a bit unusual, and would depend on project specifics, but it is theoretically possible. You might contact GBCI to get their advice.
Exposed slopes
If the construction site is really "active", that is to say there is earth movement everyday and the slopes are changing every couple of days, do we need to protect them everysingle day?
According to the CGPEPA's Construction General Permit. Outlines the provisions necessary to comply with Phase I and Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. point 2.13 management practices letter D:
"...stabilization measures must be initiated as soon as practicable in portions of the site where construction activities have temporarily or permanently ceased, but in no case more than 14 days after the construction activity in that portion of the site has temporarily or permanently ceased."
Does this mean we can leave the slopes exposed where construction is taking place and protect them when construction has stop at a particular spot?
Thank you.
David, I read the CGPEPA's Construction General Permit. Outlines the provisions necessary to comply with Phase I and Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. point you quote as saying that slopes must not be protected if they are active to the extent you describe.
It makes all sense Trinsta, thank you.
How much can the LEED AP or GA do?
In order to operate effectively, can our LEED professional prepare the documentation for credits and prerequisites? For example, our team, developer, architects, and engineers meet and create a verbal plan to handle erosion and sedimentation (SSP1). The LEED AP, who is doing, many project management activities, then prepares the drawings and accompanying narrative and uploads this to the LEED system. During Construction, our LEED profession regularly visits the site and in our case documents that the controls have been implemented through photos, narrative, and a sign-off by the contractor. Is this a valid path to implementation of SSP1? Can we operate similarly for other credits and prerequisites?
Jennifer, every team is different and will find what works for it. With LEED, it's often important to have someone who is championing the LEED documentation piece and making sure stuff gets done—and this person can do a lot.
On the negative side of your plan, most successful LEED and green projects report that a key element of success is having everyone committed to the goals and working as teammates. Green should not be delegated to one person. Some credits also require some technical expertise or on-the-spot knowledge and someone without specific know-how wouldn't be able to document them.
Does this perspective help?
Yes your comments are a big help! Our team is super committed to our green initiatives, and it is good to know that our structure will work. Thanks.
Undeveloped site
Does this Credit have to be applied to works during the "site enabling stage" for an undeveloped site?
Site investigation
Site Formation
Infrastructure and Roads (inc utility, drainage...etc)
Regards,
Julian
Yes, it should be, particularly if your LEED project is registered.
Final stabilization for zero-lot line projects
For projects that use all site for construction, how does the NPDESThe National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is a permit program that controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters. General Permit consider final stabilization?
Can I consider it when the lower level has been completed? The permit talks about vegetation only.
Thank you.
David, I don't totally follow the question. What do you mean by the lower level?
I would like to know what "final stabilization of soil" means when you have a zero-lot line project.
All site surface will be used for construction, no vegetation will be present at ground level.
Hope this is clearer.
I think in this situation, you would simply indicate what's going on in your ESCAn Erosion and Sedimentation Control (ESC) plan is a collection of measures designed to reduce pollution from construction activities by controlling soil erosion, waterway sedimentation and airborne dust generation plan—that final stabilization basically means that the area is built upon. Make sense?
Yes, it makes all sense, I just wanted to double check.
Tire's cleanning
We are implementing several things in a project to comply with this prerrequisite, regarding the cleaning of the vehicle's tires leaving the site we are washing them and then the vehicles go on a bed of rock before they leave the site. However some dirt is still stick to the tires leaving the streets a little bit dirty. We have some workers wipping the dirt but still there are traces of it on the road.
How "clean" does the street need to be in order to comply with this part of the plan?
We have used tire cleaning station in our projects, which was sufficient for the reviewers. I think you will have to do your best to prevent erosion and dirt traveling from your site, but of course you can't entirely prevent it from happening. I have 4 projects just recently certified or finished preliminary review incl. this prerequisite. Al of these projects used tire wash station, which still left some dirt traveling into the street. The streets were regularly cleaned by the contractor. This was approved, so I think yours will be too.
Good luck
Thank you Sussan, I really appreciate it.
Compliance with SS Prerequisite 1 for international projects
The procedure, references and the documents to be submitted to GBCI pertaining to this prerequisite are specific for those projects in the U.S. How would an international project pursuing LEED comply with this prerequisite? So far LEED has been adapted only for Italy. How would all other countries demonstrate compliance with SS P1?
There is a good discussion on this topic in the NC SSp1 forum. I would recommend you review that and post back with any additional thoughts/questions.
In additon to what's posted there, I do know that USGBC is actively working on this issue; however, there is no official guidance available at this moment.
Licensed Professional Exemptions
My project is looking to pursue the LPE streamlined path for this credit, but the template on LEED Online is not populating properly. What documentation do I need to upload if I am pursuing this path? Just the site plan showing all on-site natural areas contributing to credit achievement and highlighting areas of native/adaptive vegetation or other ecologically appropriate features as well as the erosion and sedimentation control measures implemented on site? Or do I need to include additional documentation? Please clarify.
Hi Heather: Typically the contractor is the professional who would sign off on this credit. As the Civil engineer is the professional who sets up the erosion and sediment BMPBest Management Practice's and the contractor must follow these BMP's. Typically you would upload the civil drawings showing the erosion and sediment control measures and as construction is being done, the contractor takes photographs to prove the procedures were followed. The photographs are uploaded as proof. This credit is one of the easier credits to document, so I would recommend against the LPE route. The following is a post from Tristan Roberts regarding LPE in general that's posted elsewhere on the forum:
The Licensed Professional Exemption is basically a streamlined documentation path that is available for certain credits, particularly design-oriented credits where a licensed professional such as a Landscape Architect or a P.E. would be in a position to judge whether the project is compliance. In most credits this option is not available due to the nature of the credit, e.g. an MR credit that requires actual tracking of purchases.
It basically involves substituting the signature of a professional for some portion of the usual documentation. This is shown in LEED Online in the relevant credits.
Unfortunately, USGBC or GBCI have not released much information on the LPE path, such as a list of the credits where it's an option, and general guidance on using the exemption. There is a small amount of info on it in the LEED Reference Guide.
The benefit of the LPE path is obvious—efficiency. The downside is that in order to feel confidence signing off on a credit, the professional may need to develop all the documentation that LEED would require, anyway, and instead of putting their professional authority on the line, they might as well simply submit the documentation.
SSp1 - New Jersey 5G3 Stormwater Discharge General Permit
The State of New Jersey is the NPDESThe National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is a permit program that controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters. permitting authority for all regulated stormwater discharges (not EPA). We received authorization to discharge under a Stormwater Discharge General Permit (5G3) and we received certification from the local soil conservation district for a commercial project. There will be general construction activities including clearing, grading, and excavation. The 5G3 Permit states that the "soil erosion and sediment control plan or requirements constitute the erosion and sediment control component of the facility's SPPP". If we submit the Permit and copies of the approved soil erosion and sediment control plan, do we achieve credit SSp1? Is a separate SPPP document required? Thank you.
Hi Tom: I would include a copy of the SPPP in your uploaded docs area, but you should also have an project specific erosion control plan that highlights those items in the SPPP you are implementing. Also the Civil drawings should show these BMPBest Management Practice's, I would upload these plans and some pictures of these measures being implemented.
Please register to use the forum.