Karin, we discuss this requirement above under the Bird's Eye View, but it was removed as of the July 2010 addendum you mention. Addenda alter the reference guide, so it's good to check any addenda posted after the publish date of the guide you're looking at. As for your LEED Online form, you may be looking at an older version, as these also go through updates. I would ask GBCI to update it via their contact form.

USGBC has replied that the LEED Online form for this issue will be adjusted in the next round of revisions.

Hi Jean,

This sounds like an acceptable approach. One word of caution is that appropriate cleaning activities should be in place for the exterior mats, since they're exposed to more weather and particulates than interior mats, even when covered. There are a couple of relevant FAQs above that can provide additional information and direct you to some LEED Interpretations that may be worth checking out.

Thanks,
Trista

Dina, Are you able to place the mat inside the building, rather than outside? The reference guide states that the entryway systems must extend 10 feet from the building entrance to the building interior. Installing the mat outside, along with a 3 feet gap between the mat and the entrance, defeats the intent of this credit. You may be able to support the exterior mats if the area is covered and you have an extensive cleaning program of both the mat and the exterior walkway areas.

*Also, could the team count this purchase toward a "durable goodsDurable goods have a useful life of 2 years or more and are replaced infrequently or may require capital program outlays. Examples include furniture, office equipment, appliances, external power adapters, televisions, and audiovisual equipment." purchase? While it isn't furniture, these mats will definitely be items purchased infrequently and seem to match the official definition...each one is likely to surpass $100, and the collection will be around or over $1,000 - thoughts? We will be disposing of the used mats sustainably as well, and hoping to count those toward MRc8...Thanks again for your thoughts -

Hi Elizabeth,
Mats are only required for entrances into the building. Therefore, if there is no entrance into the building from the loading dock, you do not need a mat in the loading dock. It sounds like you need mats in the building entrances from the garage, but not every entrance into the parking garage.

As for your second question, I would document the mat purchase as a durable goodsDurable goods have a useful life of 2 years or more and are replaced infrequently or may require capital program outlays. Examples include furniture, office equipment, appliances, external power adapters, televisions, and audiovisual equipment. purchase as you suggested, assuming that is meets one or more of the sustainability criteria. However, why would you dispose of the mats? Typically mats are routinely maintained and cleaned, not disposed, especially if purchasing during the performance period.

Alyson, I feel your pain! It can be very frustrating when you are doing the right thing, even go beyond the credit requirements, and not earn the point for your efforts. It seems the credit was denied because the reviewer did not understand that typical carpeting was replaced with walk-off mat material, but not because it was permanently installed. In fact, the credit requirements are to employ permanent entryway systems (grilles, grates, mats). Did you submit a cut sheet of the walk-off carpet material? I think this would have cleared up the confusion.

I am not surprised that the project did not receive credit for MRc9 though. A facility alternation is defined as an alternation that includes construction activity by more than 1 trade specialty and includes substantial changes to at least 1 entire room. Therefore carpet removal would be considered a minor upgrade. But at least you can feel good about keeping the old carpet out of landfill!

I wanted to post an important updated to this forum thread. In October 2012, USGBC published a LEED InterpretationLEED Interpretations are official answers to technical inquiries about implementing LEED on a project. They help people understand how their projects can meet LEED requirements and provide clarity on existing options. LEED Interpretations are to be used by any project certifying under an applicable rating system. All project teams are required to adhere to all LEED Interpretations posted before their registration date. This also applies to other addenda. Adherence to rulings posted after a project registers is optional, but strongly encouraged. LEED Interpretations are published in a searchable database at usgbc.org. that officially approves walk-off carpet tile as an acceptable entryway system. The Interpretation language can be found here: https://www.usgbc.org/leedinterpretations/LIDetails.aspx?liaccessid=10252.

The product must be "specifically designed for entryway system or similar use, have performance attributes equivalent to other acceptable entryway systems (such as high pile height), and must be regularly maintained". This ruling is applicable for all v2009 rating systems, including EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems., and similar language may find its way into the LEED v4 draft language.

Yes, I would say so. I would want to check that this carpeting does a good enough job at being a trackoff mat, and that no matter which direction someone is coming from, they walk over the required amount of mat.

I haven't seen this, but I don't see why it wouldn't be accepted. Another options is to use multiple mats to make up the full 10 feet. You mentioned that you have 8 feet on the landing before the stairs begin. If you put a separate 2 foot mat outside the door, and there is some sort of awning or overhang that would protect it from the elements, the combined coverage of the two separate mats would be acceptable.

From your description, it sounds like the total resulting coverage would be 8' wide (for a 6' door) and 12' long in the line of traffic. Is that right? Sounds good to me in terms of the credit requirements.

Be sure to address the indoor/outdoor issue that's been discussed in other threads here.

Since the credit language refers to "public entry points" I would assume that an internal courtyard would not be subject to the requirements.

I would recommend caution here since the intent of the credit is reduce/prevent the amount of particulate matter that is tracked into a building's interior on the occupants' shoes. If your open-air courtyard features landscaping, soil, gravel or any other type of material that could be carried into the building on a regular basis, I'd say that it would be important to have entryway mats at those building entrances. The key point here is that people are entering the building interior at these locations. "Public entry point" simply means that the entryway is not a private entrance used by a single individual or family; if these courtyards are accessible to any of your building occupants, they would be considered public entry points.

Thank you Tristan and Jason. Regards

Chris, the credit requirements seem pretty clear here, that all public entryway points for the building are subject to the requirement.

Is the bank involved in the EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. project? Might be tough to do without their cooperation.

This is a really good question. Some of our first floor tenants are not participating in LEED EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems.. They represent 10% of the square footage of the building that is exempt. As such, I would assume their entryways do not need 10 foot mats. Is that correct?

Wendy, IEQc3.5 is not that cut and dry here regarding the 10% exception. This could be one of those credits that "require commitment and cooperation from tenants" especially since the requirement is for at all public entry points.

That being said, however, all credits do offer a 10% exception, but not all credits contain that option in the LEED Credit Form. The IEQc3.5 form states in the required signatory "at all
entryways in the project building, except those not in use over the performance period..."

So, if your circumstance is sticky (e.g., the first floor tenant has public entry way into the lobby of the main building from the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space.) you should expect to either try out your strategy through a CIR or be prepared for clarifications during the review process. Or, if you would have concern about not being read clearly by the reviewer, an alternative compliance path could be selected where the project team would submit a floor plan which highlights all entryways and installed entryway
systems, and marks any entryways not in use over the performance period (the tenant excepted spaces included) or that serve only as emergency exits.

The IEQc3.5 credit language specifies "in the primary direction of travel," so this should work fine as long as the perpendicular route is in the line of travel, i.e. that someone entering the building basically has no choice but to walk the full 10 feet. If they could cut a corner and walk only 5 or 8 feet of it, I might have concerns.

Thanks, Tristan. One other nuance ... are there any mat requirements, in terms of backing, pile, material, etc. ??

No, I don't know of any specific requirements. The key thing would be whether the mat was made for that purpose and is effective in the building.

Hi Tristan, Along the lines of the mat requirements Jared mentioned, I cannot find anywhere under the EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. system the requirement for the carpet system to be certified by the Carpet & Rug Institute - is that low emitting flooring/carpets credit not applicable for Exiting Buildings? Would installing new matting that is certified and/or increased to ten feet qualify for EBOM 2009 IEQ1.5 as an alteration (adding the extra feet) or as an addition (getting new carpet that is certified by the CRIColor-rendering index, or CRI, is a scale of 0 to 100, used by manufacturers of fluorescent, metal halide, and other non-incandescent lighting equipment to describe the visual effect of the light on colored surfaces. Natural daylight is assigned a CRI of 100. or equivalent). I know there needs to be an additional trade change besides just the matting...thanks!

Use of carpeting that meets CRIColor-rendering index, or CRI, is a scale of 0 to 100, used by manufacturers of fluorescent, metal halide, and other non-incandescent lighting equipment to describe the visual effect of the light on colored surfaces. Natural daylight is assigned a CRI of 100. Green Label standards is actually rewarded elsewhere in EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems., specifically under MRc3 - Sustainable Purchasing, Facility Alterations and Additions. Replacement of carpeting in a project building alone would not meet the LEED definition of "facility alteration or addition"; a renovation project must employ more than one trade, so for example, painting and new carpeting could qualify a project for MRc3 (and MRc9).

Any project can attempt EQc1.5, because all that credit requires is that you develop an Construction IAQ Management PlanA construction IAQ management plan outlines measures to minimize contamination in a specific project building during construction and describes procedures to flush the building of contaminants prior to occupancy. for future renovation projects. If you also attempt MRc3, you'll need to explicitly document that your Plan was executed throughout the performance period to meet the compliance criteria.

As far as EQc3.5 goes, the key requirement for entryway systems is that the material used is classified as a walk-off mat surface. There are some carpet materials available that may meet this criteria; however, whether or not the carpet is CRI Green Label certified would have no bearing on compliance with EQc3.5.

Jarod, 

Was your perpendicular strategy approved?

Thanks!

Hi Tom -

From what I've seen, you need to comply with the requirements as stated, which means that you will need 10 feet of entryway systems at all entrances. You likely know this, but you can use a combination of entryway systems inside and outside each door to meet the 10 foot requirement.

However, you do raise an excellent question as to the requirements for residential projects, as this is not well addressed in the Reference Guide for many of the LEED-EB: O&M credits, though there are relevant CIRs for some credits. It seems to me that submitting a CIR is your best path. Otherwise, it may be that this credit just might not be appropriate for your particular project type.