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This credit only works for the right kind of project
If salvaged materials are appropriate for your project, this credit should be easy enough to achieve. But you have to use a lot of salvaged materials to reach the threshold, so it's most feasible for small projects that target sources of salvaged materials early in the design process. Even then, it can be tricky because these are not the sort of things you can specify and count on being able to order from a supplier--the contractor or owner usually has to procure and stockpile salvaged items when they become available. That has to happen early enough that they can be included in the design, which is often long before they are needed on the job site.
Some projects also run into trouble with the fact that salvaged items aren't rated for structural strength or flame resistance....
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20 Comments
Re-using wood doors
If wood doors from the original interior walls are removed, refinished and re-used in the new (relocated) interior walls, may we apply the value to MRc3?
Robert, you may, because the location is different. Changing the use would also work.
Calculating material resource credits
In calculating the material resource credits, I have come to understand that you can do this one of two ways. 1st way is to use actual costs from each material used on the site. The denominator then becomes the total material budget and the numerator is the percentages of recycled content for each material used. The other more common way to do this is the use the 45% rule. Take the total budget for materials 3-10 x .45 to get the total material budget. This becomes the denominator. My question is how do you get the the numerator in this approach. I see 2 options. Use actual material costs or use 45% of each subs total budget or use actual costs. For example. Cost of divisions 3-10 is 1,000,000. Material budget is then 450,000. Steel costs 100,000 for labor and material. Actual material cost is 33,000. Do you use 45% of 100,000 = 45,000 or 33,000???
Jason, the 45% rule works only for the total materials budget. To calculate credit compliance you then need to find actual material costs for each material being applied. Hopefully you can get a cost for the steel that does not include labor. The 45% rule is not meant to apply to finding that.
Tristan, I thought the 45% rule for determining the total materials budget made it so you did not have to find actual material costs for each material being applied to obtain credit compliance. Is that correct?
Also, for the projects in which I am the Construction LEED Coordinator I have asked the contractors at the beginning of the project to break down their schedule of values to show the applicable spec sections seperate from the others, then I use the 45% rule. Now that the first of these projects is wrapping up and I need to figure out the process of obtaining credit compliance through LEED online uploads, I am wondering the following: Should I ask the contractors to give me a final schedule of values for those applicable spec sections that is update to include all change orders and then use those figures to determine a project close out total materials costs (again using the 45
% default budget process)?
Tim - The 45% rule is to determine the default materials cost for the entire project. You will have to obtain the actual material cost for each material/product which contributes to the credit. For the contributing material it is based on the actual cost of that material. You are still saving a ton of time b/c you don't have to obtain actual materials cost for every material/product on the job - only those that contribute to the credit.
Yes, you must absolutely get the updated costs.
Susie - Sorry for the brain freeze. I have been collecting actual costs for the applicable materials and putting them into the spreadsheet. I did however have a supplier note that following: "How do I list a “cost” before I have made any material purchases for the job??" I think the reason they are asking is that they are being asked to provide the material costs with their submittals to the architect. But I would think their submittals are basically saying, if you approve the use of this product, I will be supplying it - and if that is the case, they should already know the cost of that material, right?
You can collect the cost after the purchase so long as the purchased materials are approved and meet credit requirements. I usually have the subs give me the cost after I have approved the materials.
My only concern with this approach is that I have lost some of my teeth after the materials are approved and I find it harder to get responses. If I do not approve the submittals until they give me the LEED information including the material costs, I find it easier to get the info I need. Does this make sense?
We are a Design/Build firm and take a multi-faceted approach to obtaining the necessary LEED information. We start by including a document titled Subcontractor Submittal Requirements and Documentation for LEED in our bid pack. This covers our LEED project goals for MRc2, MRc4, MRc5, MRc7 and IEQc4. Once we have awarded the job and have completed construction documents we ask the sub-contractor to list the product/material and manufacturer/vendor for each of the products included in their work (LEED Materials Submittal Form Part A - Material Summary. We ask for specific information regarding recycled, regional, 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. and VOC content. At one time we asked for costs at this stage but then found it was too hard for the sub-contractor to provide this information so early in the project. The final document that we ask the sub-contractor for, and it is usually after they have completed their work is theLEED Materials Submittal Form Part B - Material Costs. This is where they provide the materials costs for all materials that they submitted in the Part A form. As with any new process we found that on the initial LEED project this information was difficult to collect. Our solution was to withhold final payment until Part B has been submitted. After 4-5 projects I would have to say the entire process is much smoother. Hope this helps.
material cost basis
Back again. We're salvaging brick taken from one part of a building and reusing it for repairs at new masonry openings, areas exposed by demolition, etc. Is this eligible for MRc3 or do we just consider that repair work? If it is an eligible item, do I have to add the equivalent cost for new brick to our material costs? Seems like that diminishes the value of using reclaimed materials somewhat as you add labor expense for removal, stocking, cleaning and prep.
Gary - My gut reaction is that since you are using the salvaged brick in a new location you can count it under MRc3. You will definitely have to include the cost of the brick in the materials cost but you can decide to use an actual cost or the replacement cost depending on which betters serves you meeting the threshold.
Don't forget to include this in MRc5.
Sitework and FF&E
Our project has a walking path that is paved with a combination of gravel and asphalt millings from our Sitework package. We are also combining new and existing furnishings into our LEED credits. If I understand the MR3.1 credit intent, we base the value of reused materials on their replacement cost, for the total Material cost to the Project, do we use $0 for the reused materials? I also assume these would qulaify for Regional aterial credit using the same logic.
Gary - If I understand your question correctly you will use the same replacement cost as the reused furniture value and in the total materials cost. Essentially, the same number is added to the numerator and the denominator.
Keep in mind that in LEED NC you can choose to exclude the furniture as long as you do it consistently for across all MR credits.
Yes, they will also qualify for regional materials.
Thanks Susie. 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 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 based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. is slightly under 50% w/o FF&E so we need to include the furniture to achieve that credit. The client is reusing a substantial quantity of their existing office furnishings, so we are considering valuation of this toward the MRc3.1 as reused materials if that is accepted. The sitework materials are diverted from construction waste and will also apply. Together, these should achieve the MR credit, just checking the logic against total material cost.
It is definitely accepted to count reused furniture toward MRc3.
Chipped Woods, New Construction Material Left-overs
Hi,
I would like to know if chipped woods and material left-overs comply with this credit. The removed trees were turned into chipped woods and were spread to the underbrushed areas. The left-overs, for example, cracked concrete were used as a permeable paved areas. Please advise if these materials comply with MRc3. Thank you.
Tysa - You can use these materials to comply with MRc3. Since you are reusing them, be sure to include them in your MRc2 and MRc5 calculations also!
MRc3 Materials Reuse
Our project has salvaged many valuable trees and cacti from the excavated site. We could have just bladed the site and thrown away the native plant material, but instead we maintained them in an on-site nursery during construction and planted them in new locations on the site. If the cacti were purchased new they would total in excess of 20% of the project cost.
Do you think USGBC will accept this argument for MRc3 Materials Reuse? We are submitting under NC v 2.2.
Tricky situation...
The reference guide states that reused materials found on site that are 'fixed' must no longer be able to serve their original function and must be reconditioned and installed for a different use or in a different location. All examples refer to materials inside the building, however landscaped materials fall within Div 2-10. Your materials were removed from the site in order to preserve them, but reused albeit in different locations.
It seems to me that you are meeting the intent of the credit and you have likely gone to great lengths to protect and care for the plants, but it doesn't seem likely they will accept the argument for this credit based on previous CIRs.
Landscape materials also don't appear to have a place in MRc1 for building reuse.
In this case I would roll the dice and apply for MRc3 based on meeting the intent of the credit. If you do, I would not include the materials in MRc2 for construction waste, but do include them in MRc5. If you are denied MRc3, you can add the material to MRc2 if it helps you reach the next credit threshold.
I recommend sending a 'Technical Inquiry" to USGBC at leedinfo@usgbc.org to garner further clarification if you're not interested in the 'roll the dice' approach above. Let us know how it turns out.
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