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Allow time for documentation
Documenting this credit can take time, since cost and exact percentages of post- and pre-consumer materials must be collected for each recycled item used.
LEED requires the base materials budget to be consistent across all MR credits. The LEED Online credit forms help provide consistency across MR credits by applying the same data to multiple credits. Materials used to earn this credit cannot also be counted for MRc3: Materials Reuse, nor for MRc7: Certified WoodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use...
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39 Comments
Calculations - Material Cost
1. The calculation section in the reference guide says to multiply the total construction cost (hard costs only) by.45. Does total hard cost = cost with contractor's fee? or = to cost without contractor's fee?
2. Also, the reference guide says material costs include all expenses to deliver the material to the project site. Should this be consistent with 1 above? Include the fee if included in 1 above and don't include the fee if not included in 1 above. Correct?
Thanks,
Travis
Travis Layman replied Chief Estimator, LEED AP, Harman Construction, Inc. Jan 18 2010
Another related question:
Is the material cost = the contract value of the material? Typically the contract value of the material is an estimated value. Actual cost could be more or less.
Thanks.
Nadav Malin replied President, BuildingGreen, LLC Jan 19 2010
Hi Travis,
Contractor fees are typically considered part of the "hard costs" of construction (as opposed to design fees and permitting costs, which are soft costs), so they should be included. That is also consistent with the Ref Guide guidance on your 2nd question--which is to include transportation/delivery fees in the cost of materials.
Regarding Travis' question on actual cost vs. contract value, the preferred approach would be to use actual costs, but if that's hard to get and you have contract values readily available that might be acceptable. Could be worth asking in a CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide or trying it that way in an initial application, as long as you're prepared to go back and dig up the actual costs if they require that.
Concrete tracking
Couple of questions on concrete (an assembly).
1. The "Sample Letter to Contractor" makes reference to a "concrete tracking form", which I could not find. Will this be added to the Toolkit in the future?
2. It appears that for all concrete on a project, one has to make a decision whether to separate out the SCMs (per Reference Guide page 373) or not. In other words if considering the entire concrete assembly, recycled rebar or aggregate would typically have a much larger impact (as it is calcualted by weight) than recycled SCMs. So if one calculates the SCMs separately against the total mass of all cementitious materials, it appears that for each concrete element one would have to perform two calculations in parallel - one for the total assembly and one for for cementitious materials only. Is that a correct reading?
Thanks,
Wolfgang
Nadav Malin replied President, BuildingGreen, LLC Mar 25 2010
On the 2nd question, the answer is "yes", you do have do decide whether or not to separate out SCMs and do 2 calculations, or include them and do just one. If you have a reasonable amount of fly-ash or GGBFS you'll do well to do the two calculations separately, because you can still get credit for the recycled aggregate in the calculation that deals all the non-SCM concrete ingredients.
I would suggest keeping the rebar separate and doing that on it's own line in the matrix, so you can claim the very recycled-content fraction for that. It's not really part of the mix, even though it ends up in the concrete.
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC Mar 26 2010
Christopher and everyone, LEEDuser's concrete tracking form is now posted in the Documentation Toolkit. It can also be used for MRc5.
Off-site labor costs
To what extent is shop labor included in material costs? With increases in shop fabrication, this could be a big issue. Clearly there is labor that goes into the manufacture of every product, but at what point do we draw the line? For example, if a steel truss is manufactured in a shop and then shipped to the job site, is the cost of the shop labor included in the cost of the material? What if an entire kitchen is prefabricated? As in, purchased from a kitchen manufacturer, not manufactured off site by the project contractor. Would that differentiation matter? (This is for a 2.2 project.)
Also, if we have to pay a patent fee to use/adapt a product technology, is that considered to be part of the product cost?
Nadav Malin replied President, BuildingGreen, LLC Feb 06 2010
I'd suggest focus on the contractual relationships to sort out the shop labor question. If the off-site shop is run by the contractor or a subcontractor, then what happens there should be a labor cost, not a materials cost. If the shop (or kitchen fabricator) is run by an outside vendor, then they would be a "supplier" and their labor is, for the purposes of the project, part of the cost of the materials.
If it isn't clear whether the fabricator is a supplier or a subcontractor, you could establish a distinction based on whether or not they do any actual work (as opposed to just offering guidance) on the job site.
On the patent question--sorry, can't help you there. I'd say that, until a precedent gets documented, you can include it or not at your discretion.
Anyone else have experiences that might be helpful here?
countertops CSI classification
The guidelines for MRc3 - 7 indicate that only items in Division 3 - 10, 31 and 32 should be included in the calculations unless you want to include all furniture. However, it seems like wood casework is found in both divisions 6 and 12. Is there a distinction between the two? It seems odd that I could count the casework in division 6, but not the countertops because they are in division 12.
Nadav Malin replied President, BuildingGreen, LLC Mar 27 2010
Having spent years struggling with this on the committee (MR-TAGLEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG): Subcommittees that consist of industry experts who assist in developing credit interpretations and technical improvements to the LEED system.), I've learned that there is no simple way to delineate which categories of materials should be included in these credits.
The MasterFormat divisions approach is far from perfect, but it's what we've got. You have to just go with it, unless you want to petition for a special exception in how your credit is reviewed. According to CSI, casework that is constructed on site is specified in Division 6, but premanufactured casework and countertops are in Division 12.
Jonathan Weiss replied Apr 07 2010
Follow up question - how about insulation? Is piping insulation an MEP item? Or is it a building item? I know that building insulation is in the calculations, and there are many products that include significant recycled content, what about ductwork and piping insulation?
Nadav Malin replied President, BuildingGreen, LLC Apr 07 2010
Pipe insulation and ductwork are specified in the plumbing and HVAC sections. So they cannot be included in the MR-credit calculations.
Yes, it's a bit illogical, but, as I mentioned earlier, we weren't able to come up with a manageable way to distinguish what items should or should not be included within these sections.
MRc4.1 and 4.2 - documentation
The credit requires to determine the weight and cost of each material; weight % of each product that is recyclable; dtermine which recyclable product to pursue to meet the 10% goal. What about waste? You may purchase 100% of an item and 10% is waste, how do you handle the waste?
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC Apr 05 2010
The documentation for this credit is based on your materials budget—materials that you purchase for the project. If you waste or otherwise don't use some of those material, that is not factored in to the calculations for MRc4. Waste will penalize you under LEED-NC MRc2: Construction Waste Management, however.
incorporating materials from Divisions outside 2-10, 31 & 32
Although the Credits state that MEP and other products should be excluded, may they be included in the calculations if desired?
I have the opportunity to get recycled content in piping and manhole covers (Div 22 and Div 33).
Can I use these in my calcs?
If so, do I have to include the total costs for this divisions? everything in plumbing or site utilities?
Example - If I were including furniture from Div 12 would I also have to include window shades from Div 12?
The same total material value must be used throughout the LEED credit calculations, so if MEP products are included, how must everything else in the Div be included in Credit calculations?
Thanks
Nadav Malin replied President, BuildingGreen, LLC Apr 16 2010
Hi Christopher,
The credit language on this (visible above, if you're a full member of LEEDuser) doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room: "Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components, and specialty items such as elevators cannot be included in this calculation."
The answer is a pretty clear "no".
Christopher M Sawyer replied Apr 16 2010
Thanks Nadav,
I got this idea from the Titus website:
http://titus-demo.com/green/leedLetter.asp
They claim "Although the Credits state that MEP products should be excluded, they may be included in the calculations if desired. However, the same total material value must be used throughout the LEED credit calculations, so if MEP products are included, they must be in all Credit calculations."
Christopher M Sawyer replied Apr 16 2010
This CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide seems to indicate that items outside of Div 2-10, 31 & 32 can be used:
2/4/2009 - Credit Interpretation Request
Per CIR ruling dated 1/28/08, we feel there may be some flexibility in CSI classification of materials and how that qualifies a material for inclusion in Recycled Content (and other Materials & Resources credits) calculations.
The particular material of concern here is "RF ShieldingShielding is a nontechnical term that describes devices or techniques that are used as part of a luminaire or lamp to limit glare, light trespass, or sky glow." panels to be installed in the MRI facility of our hospital expansion project. These panels are typically classified under CSI Division 13 for accounting purposes, because they are a specialty item. However, the panels are being custom fabricated in a shop, for this project, of a few simple materials, mainly:
urea-formaldehyde1. Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring VOC found in small amounts in animals and plants but is carcinogenic and an irritant to most people when present in high concentrations, causing headaches, dizziness, mental impairment, and other symptoms. When present in the air at levels above 0.1 ppm, it can cause watery eyes; burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat; nausea; coughing; chest tightness; wheezing; skin rashes; and asthmatic and allergic reactions. 2. A known carcinogen with no known safe exposure level. Formaldehyde occurs naturally, but appears in unnaturally high concentrations in many buildings because it is an ingredient in binders used in many building materials and furnishings.-free recycled MDFMedium-density fiberboard (MDF): Panel product used in cabinets and furniture; generally made from wood fiber glued together with binder; similar to particleboard, but with finer texture, offering more precise finishing. Most MDF is made with formaldehyde-emitting urea-formaldehyde binder.
and copper sheeting
Because of the high recycled content of these two materials, we would like to include them in our recycled content calculations. We feel that because of the simplicity of this component, and our subcontractor's ability to break out the cost of each material and recycled content data, that we should be able to claim credit. Please verify.
3/20/2009 - Ruling
The project team has requested a clarification regarding the inclusion of a material from MasterSpec Division 13 in the calculations determining credit compliance for MRc4. Yes, the material may be included in calculations for MRc4 provided that the values are applied consistently across MRc3-7. The material may be calculated for assembly recycled contentAssembly recycled content is the percentage of material in a product that is either postconsumer or preconsumer recycled content. It is determined by dividing the weight of the recycled content by the overall weight of the assembly. as sub-components of a panel system. See page 272 of the LEED-NC 2.2 Reference Guide for further clarification on how to calculate the recycled content final percentages for this material.
Christopher M Sawyer replied Apr 16 2010
Actually I think I have the answer: Div 33 should be included.
The LEED 2.2 prescriptive is for Master Format 1995 Div 2-10.
Div 33 in Master format 2004 is equal to Master Format Div 2 (along with Div 31 and 32)
It includes piped utilities, sanitary sewers, etc
Master Format 1995 Div 15 and 16 items are out. These equal Div 21, 22, 26 in Master Format 2004.
Nadav Malin replied President, BuildingGreen, LLC Apr 16 2010
Hi Christopher,
That notice on the Titus website is wrong on every count. They don't understand the reason why mechanical and electrical stuff was excluded, and they're wrong that it's optional.
That stuff was excluded because chillers and boiler and controls are very expensive relative to their mass, so on a dollar-per-pound of material basis, including them would skew the calculations.
Regarding the CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide, the key point here is that there are three groups of materials:
The principle behind what cannot be included is what I mentioned above--equipment that is expensive relative to its mass. But, except for those things specifically called out in the credit language, there is more wiggle room there.
ISO 14021
I've started noticing a trend that products are supplying a ISO 14025 (third party) declaration that always mentions environmental impact in terms of CO2Carbon dioxide life cycle footprint analysis, but doesn't mention pre- or post recycled content. When recycled content is mentioned then it's just lumped.
As I understand it the ISO 14021 is a self declaration. I assume that the definitions of pre- and post recycled content are defined in this norm(?), but is it required to state what those are?
What exactly should I be asking of my product suppliers in terms of documentation?
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC May 11 2010
For LEED purposes, the recycled content in a product does not have to be third-party certified. If a self-declaration like one compliant with ISO 14021 gives pre- and post-consumerWaste material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product, which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. This includes returns of materials from the distribution chain (source: ISO 14021). Examples of this category include construction and demolition debris, materials collected through curbside and drop-off recycling programs, broken pallets (if from a pallet refurbishing company, not a pallet-making company), discarded products (e.g., furniture, cabinetry and decking) and urban maintenance waste (e.g., leaves, grass clippings, tree trimmings, etc.). recycled content numbers, then you should be able to use that.
It's too bad they're not breaking the numbers out more routinely—you'll need that for LEED.
recovery distance for recycled content
applying this credit to recycled content:
The leedonline for has a column for
Extraction/
harvest/
recovery
distance (miles)**
What is considered the scource for recycled content?
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC May 11 2010
For recycled content the source is generally considered to be the recovery point, for example the plant where the material was generated and recovered from an industrial process, or the metal scrapyard where the material was gathered.
MR credits
Are you sure about a material in MRc4 cannot be counted in MRc3 and MRc7? I know that you can't count MRc3 materials in any other MR categories but MRc5, but I thought you could count, for example, the particleboard of a cabinet in both MRc4 and MRc7 (if cert. wood). Manufacturers will make FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. particleboard by request.
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC May 11 2010
Good question, since there is FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts.-certified recycled wood on the market, why can't that count toward MRc7?
Only "new wood" counts under MRc7, and recycled content is by definition not "new."
It doesn't count against you either—you can exclude it from the wood budget used for MRc7 entirely, so it's not non-compliant.
Check with the manufacturers if their FSC content includes any new wood. Also, you could potentially get credit for a percentage of the particleboard.
Can "recycled" water in concrete count toward MRc4?
Can the water content in concrete be considered "recycled content" for MRc4? I've seen this question show up in a variety of places and thought it was worth addressing LEEDuser's thinking on it, with help from our MR expert, former MR-TAGLEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG): Subcommittees that consist of industry experts who assist in developing credit interpretations and technical improvements to the LEED system. chair Nadav Malin. To paraphase Nadav:
I've seen this claim made before, but I'm very skeptical that it would be accepted (unless the reviewer isn't paying attention). Technically, yes, water is an ingredient in concrete, but I'd say that's really stretching things.
To claim that collected rainwater is "recycled" just because it didn't come from a municipal potable waterPotable water meets or exceeds EPA's drinking water quality standards and is approved for human consumption by the state or local authorities having jurisdiction; it may be supplied from wells or municipal water systems. source doesn't match any of the conventional definitions of a recycled material.
The case for reprocessed and reused water is a little better, but even there I think you'd be on thin ice because collecting, filtering, and reusing water is pretty standard practice at most plants.
You could try to sneak this through, I guess, but I certainly wouldn't count on it for a critical point you need for certification!
Brad Hollebrandse replied Sustainability Consultant, Jain Sustainability Consultants May 14 2010
I'd say a no, even though there are loop holes to be found in LEED, i don't believe this is one.
The rule of thumb I was taught with Water and Concrete, is if you'd drink it, then its acceptable for concrete mixing. Other water should not be used.
Determining Recycled-Content Value
In the reference guide there are a few different ways to determine recycled content value. When we are purchasing different materials/parts ie aluminum extrusions, aluminum panels, fasteners, insulated glass, sealants, to build a final product (WIndow System, Curtainwall) should we be using equation 1 referenced on page 372 and add each material up or use equation 3 on page 373? If we have to use equation 3 could someone please help expound on this? Is assembly cost the cost of all the parts and labor? This last questions ties into my questions in theMRc5 forum yesterday.
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC May 25 2010
If you're purchasing the components separately then simply use Equation 1, the basic equation that takes the full value of post-consumerWaste material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product, which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. This includes returns of materials from the distribution chain (source: ISO 14021). Examples of this category include construction and demolition debris, materials collected through curbside and drop-off recycling programs, broken pallets (if from a pallet refurbishing company, not a pallet-making company), discarded products (e.g., furniture, cabinetry and decking) and urban maintenance waste (e.g., leaves, grass clippings, tree trimmings, etc.). content and half the value of pre-consumer.
If you're purchasing an assembled product, then you have to isolate the different components by weight and determine the recycled content of each. We expand on how to do this and provide an example in the Getting It Done tab above.
Evan Shook replied Contract/Procurement Manager, LEED AP BD+C May 26 2010
K, thank you. My next question ties in with Regional Materials. If say a certain percentage of a material you are purchasing is recycled and salvaged within the 500 mile radius can you count the recycled content $ amount as part of the regional materials as well? Say 10% of the aluminum you are purchasing is recycled content and each piece is $100. Can that $10 count towards both the recycled and the regional materials credit?
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC May 26 2010
Yes, if it's also manufactured within the 500-mile radius.
How far do we go with finding individual pricing?
The new version 3 requires us to not just list how much paint cost for the project, say $10,000. Rather, we have to list how much a can of paint costs, like $20 and how many cans were used. How far do we take this? Does this mean that I have to list every single structural member and how many of each I had, rather than just listing structural steel and how many total pieces were used? Where do we draw the line?
Anne Nicklin replied Sustainability Consultant, Davis Langdon Jun 10 2010
It looks like this is one of those little tricks that were added in to help out a project team, but actually make things quite a bit more complicated. For items where you can reasonably specify the individual cost and quantity, go right ahead, otherwise I would treat it as a lump sum. Basically, enter your quantity as 1, and then enter in the total value of the purchase. That said, make sure to hold onto your backup documentation and invoices just in case.
Furnishings purchased by Owner
If Division 12 is included, how should furnishings not in the GC's contract be treated?
Alison Y Rivenburgh replied Jul 08 2010
Follow-up comment: I found this ruling on USGBC CIRs, but it is from over seven years ago and is in reference to NC 2.0 and 2.1. Has there been any more recent rulings or guidelines on this? Does everyone agree that "Scope of Work" means only what is in the GC's scope?
"Ruling
The June 2001 Reference Guide and previous CIRs state that only built-in furniture may be included in LEED credit calculations. On October 10, 2002, the LEED Steering Committee upheld and expanded upon an earlier decision to overturn previous guidance and allow non-permanent furniture to be included in LEED for New Construction v2.0 and v2.1 calculations, BUT ONLY if furniture is included in the project's scope of work. Furniture must then be included in all relevant credit calculations or none at all. The relevant credits, as determined by the Committee, are Materials & Resources credits 3 through 7. A common sense approach must be taken when deciding what to include as furniture. LEED certification reviews will ensure that project teams are reasonable with what they choose to include and will not skew the results and conflict with the intent of LEED. Office systems and furniture are expected to be the more common and applicable products in the marketplace."
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC Jul 12 2010
Scope of work means for the LEED project, not for the GC. If furniture is being provided to the project by someone other than the GC, but it's within the same D&C project and within Div. 12, it must be included in credit calcs, if you are including any furniture.
Slag in concrete
How does slag contribute to LEED credit compliance?
Anne Nicklin replied Sustainability Consultant, Davis Langdon Aug 27 2010
Hi Summer,
Blast furnace slag is a waste product of the iron-making process. It is a glassy granule that is ground up and used as a cement admixture. Slag contributes to compliance under MRc4 as post-industrialRefers to material diverted from the waste stream during a manufacturing process. Excluded from this category is reutilization of materials such as scrap that are generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process. Generally synonymous with "pre-consumer." recycled content. It is most easily available in steel producing regions, though is often shipped around the country. Typical percentages are in the range of 35-50% of cement only (not total concrete), and slag can have the effect of lightening the final concrete, helping decrease the urban heat islandA densely populated area in which pavement and buildings absorb, store, and release solar energy, making the vicinity warmer than it would be if the pavement and buildings were not present. effect when used for sidewalks.
Hope that helps,
Anne
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