Schools-2009 MRc7: Certified Wood

  • NC Schools MRc7 Type3 Wood Diagram

  • Is it worth it?

    This credit can be easy and with little or no cost premium if your project only has a small amount of wood. A multifamily high-rise, for example, may have little wood on the project except for doors and cabinetry. In this case, it would be easy to reach the 50% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) threshold.

    Projects with more wood might encounter a larger upfront cost, but have the potential to demonstrate their environmental values of sustainable forestry management. Projects can also go above the 50% threshold and earn an ID point for 95% FSC 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.. For example, a commercial interior fit-out for an investment bank involved large amounts of wood veneers and millwork. The project purchased 97% FSC-certified wood, earning an additional exemplary performanceIn LEED, certain credits have established thresholds beyond basic credit achievement. Meeting these thresholds can earn additional points through Innovation in Design (ID) or Innovation in Operations (IO) points. As a general rule of thumb, ID credits for exemplary performance are awarded for doubling the credit requirements and/or achieving the next incremental percentage threshold. However, this rule varies on a case by case basis, so check the credit requirements. point under IDc1.

    No minimum amount of wood

    This credit awards points for dedicating 50% or more of your total new wood budget to wood-based products or materials that are FSC certified. 

    You can use as much or as little total wood as you want—as long as 50% of it is FSC-certified. If you make it 95%, you earn an extra point for exemplary performance. 

    More wood = more challenging

    If wood is a big part of your project, with a lot of wood flooring, framing, or veneers, you’re unlikely to earn this credit unless you can find a source of FSC-certified wood for those items that’s within your budget. Projects without wood as a big-ticket item should focus instead on other wood materials, including blocking, millwork, and wood finish materials, as well as casework, and wood composites.

    All projects should get their subcontractor, vendor, or lumberyard on board to price available—and preferably regional, for MRc5—FSC-certified products early in the process. You can usually find an FSC-certified version of what you need, but it sometimes takes longer to arrive.

    Not all FSC-certified products are equal

    Architectural Millwork produces finished and unfinished FSC-certified stock and custom molding and paneling (including radius paneling and millwork) for commercial and residential projects.

    Pay attention to the different types of FSC certification. You can find these on product cut sheets: 

    • FSC 100%  (previously "FSC Pure"): Valued at 100% of product cost. 
    • FSC Mix Credit: Valued at 100% of product cost.
    • FSC Mix (XX)%: A percentage of FSC content is indicated and you can claim that percentage of the wood product’s cost. For example, FSC Mixed 50%, means that you can claim 50% of the wood product’s cost.
    • FSC Recycled and FSC Recycled Credit: These do not count towards this credit and can be left out of the baseline wood budget. FSC Recycled wood can count towards MRc4: Recycled Content. 

    Chain-of-custody certification

    Wood is FSC-certified if it comes from the right forests. To ensure that the same FSC-certified wood that leaves the forest arrives at your building without being mixed up with conventional wood, FSC oversees another certification process—chain-of-custody certification, or CoC.

    The FSC-certified Collins Almanor Forest in Northern California has been logged five times in the last 50 years.

    CoC certification tracks FSC-certified wood as it moves through harvesting, production, manufacturing, and distributing chains. In order for your LEED project to make a claim about FSC wood you use, you need to make sure that the product is handled by operations carrying CoC certifications at every step. Those needing CoC certifications (see Checklists for more detail) should provide their certification number on their invoices. Certified operators can also be found on the FSC website.

    Why FSC?

    The Forest Stewardship Council is a nonprofit organization that was created to set an international standard for responsible forest management, and to track and certify wood products from well-managed forests. FSC certification ensures that your wood products have come from third-party-certified forests that comply with the FSC principles and criteria. 

    The "wood wars"

    FSC is only one of dozens of forest certification programs in the world. Others include the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) label. FSC currently remains the only program recognized for this credit. Following lengthy development of a more inclusive policy at USGBC, USGBC membership voted to reject the new policy. BuildingGreen.com, a sister publication to LEEDuser, chronicled the extensive debate over FSC and other certification schemes in a series of articles, including articles looking at the impact of certification on jobs, on climate change, and the future of forest certification in LEED.

    Although FSC provides the certification standard, other groups provide the audits that determine whether certification can actually be awarded to a forest. The two groups most commonly seen here are SmartWood and SCS Global Services.

    Rapidly renewable materials

    Woody rapidly renewable materials like bamboo and cork have not generally been covered by this credit, because they are not conventional lumber products, because they are already covered under MRc6: Rapidly Renewable Materials (except for CS), and because FSC certification had not been available for these products until recently. However, with the advent of FSC-certified bamboo products, teams may include bamboo and cork in MRc7, at their discretion. It would only be advantageous to do so if you are using FSC-certified products; otherwise, it would make credit compliance harder.

    FAQs for MRc7

    We are pursuing IEQc4.5 from LEED-CI as an ID credit. Are we then required to include the cost of furniture in MRc3–7?

    No, per 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. #3901.

    What building components are typically purchased with FSC content to earn this credit?

    Big-ticket items commonly used for this credit include flooring and subflooring, framing, doors and door cores, wood finishes, and casework.

    We’re having trouble getting FSC wood within our budget. Can we use products with another forestry certification?

    No. Only forestry products certified by the FSC can contribute to earning MRc7. Wood products that are not FSC-certified, including those certified to SFI or PEFC, can still contribute to MRc5, though.

    Do I need to provide invoices for all of the new wood products purchased for the project, or just FSC wood products?

    GBCI had required invoices for all wood products, but has switched to requiring only invoices for FSC certified products, per the April 2008 FSC memo, which states that all invoices must be collected, but they do not need to be submitted. The reviewer does not need to see those to determine compliance.

    Certified wood invoices must contain the FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) tracking number, and indicate whether the product is “FSC 100%,” “FSC Mix Credit” or “FSC Mix [NN]%.”

    I have supporting manufacturer documentation for the FSC wood used on our project. Is this enough to document this credit, or do I need invoices as well?

    Per the previous question, you do not need to submit invoices for all wood products, but you must collect invoices in order to determine the cost of wood products on the project.

    Can products labeled “FSC Recycled” or “FSC Recycled Credit” contribute towards MRc7? What about "FSC Mix" percentages that refer to recycled content?

    No. Because this credit focuses on "new" wood, recycled cottent products may not be counted as certified wood under MRc7, and should be excluded from the total cost of new wood materials. However, those purchases could qualify for credit under MRc4: Recycled Content.

    Does FSC-certified wood automatically contribute to IEQc4.4 as a low-emitting material?

    No, but it is common to find FSC composite woodComposite wood consists of wood or plant particles or fibers bonded by a synthetic resin or binder. Examples include particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, oriented-strand board (OSB), wheatboard, and strawboard. products that meet IEQc4.4 requirements.

    We are using a lot of reclaimed wood. Should we include this in our MRc7 calculations? What about wood that is already installed on the project, in a renovation? What about wood products with recycled content?

    MRc7 only applies to "new" wood. Reclaimed, reused, or recycled wood should not be included in MRc7 calculations.

    Does FSC-certified bamboo products count towards this credit?

    Yes. Bamboo is considered a forest product by FSC even though it’s technically a grass, and it’s often as a forest product in materials like plywood, veneer, and flooring. See LEED Interpretation #2535, issued 4/22/2009, for more information.

    A product has FSC-certified veneer, but a non-certified core. Can we prorate the MRc7 contribution of this product based on the cost of the veneer?

    No. If the product is built off-site then the entire assembly (the product which is shipped to site) must have an FSC label from the manufacturer of the assembly. Individual components, unless they are shipped to site and thereby complete the chain, may not contribute towards this credit. All entities that possess FSC materials until the product reaches the project site must have a chain-of-custody certification.

    Should wood used on site features such as benches or a gazebo be included here?

    Yes. If it is new wood and it is in your LEED project boundary, you should count it.

Legend

  • Best Practices
  • Gotcha
  • Action Steps
  • Cost Tip

Schematic Design

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  • Consider using FSC-certified wood on the project. Start by looking at the project’s applications for wood-based products. Wood blocking, framing, doors, millwork and wood finishes play a large role in obtaining this credit.   

  • Before identifying wood species and grades, check to see what FSC wood is readily available from local suppliers and try to design using those materials. 

  • FSC wood is becoming easier to find.  An increasing number of vendors and suppliers offer FSC wood as the consumer demand has increased.

  • There may be a price premium for FSC wood, depending on location, type of wood, and availability, but nationally the cost is becoming more competitive with conventional wood. This natural beaver pond in Lakeview, Oregon shows the potential for habitat protection in a working forest.For example, a project in New York City found a premium of 25% on high-end custom doors. A commercial interior fit-out project in New York found a 50% price premium on decorative hardwood veneers, while a core and shell project in New York found only a 5% price premium on wood blocking and plywood.  A school renovation project in Boulder, Colorado saw a 13% increase for FSC-certified wood flooring and 20% cost increase on ½” CDX FSC-certified new plywood.

     

Design Development

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  • Include in your new wood materials baseline budget the material cost (excluding labor) of all new wood items that apply under CSI Master Spec 2004 Format Divisions 3–10, 31.60 Foundations, 32.10 Paving, 32.30 Site Improvements, and 32.90 Planting. Division 12 Furniture is optional. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and equipment costs are excluded. (See Resources for Master Spec information.) 

  • All new wood products must be listed in line-item fashion in the documentation, whether FSC-certified or not. There is no 45% default budget for this credit as there is in the other MR credits. 

  • Adding furniture to your baseline wood budget for MRc7 is optional, but must be done consistently across MRc3, MRc4, MRc5, MRc6, and MRc7. Analyze the baseline materials budget to see if adding division 12 furniture works to the project’s advantage. Generally, if the furniture helps contribute to the above MR credits it is in a project’s interest to take credit for it.

  • It is optional to add temporary wood structures such as sidewalk partitions, bracing, or concrete forms to the baseline wood budget. If added, however, the temporary wood structures can only count toward one project’s certification (that is, if reused on another LEED project, they cannot count toward MRc7 there). Also, if temporary wood structures are calculated towards the credit compliance, all temporary wood structures need to be counted in the baseline (essentially, you can’t just calculate FSC certified wood structures and not non-FSC certified wood structures). Unless the temporary structures are FSC-certified wood, it is not generally to your advantage to bring the baseline budget higher by adding them.

  • The baseline wood budget should be consistent across all wood products mentioned in MRc3–7. The LEED Online credit form helps ensure consistency.

  • To determine how much FSC wood you will need to incorporate into your project, look at the baseline wood budget. Determine how much you want to spend on certified wood. 50% of the wood budget cost will give the project one point and 95% will give the project one ID point for exemplary performance. Go through the project’s preliminary budget, identify what wood items could be purchased FSC-certified, and check to see whether these items add up to the amount needed to get the desired LEED points.

  • Include a cushion for this credit in case of changes in design and purchasing. For example, if you are counting on one point for using 50% certified wood, plan on using 60% of your wood budget for certified wood in order to avoid coming up short.

  • Using the estimated budget to integrate certified wood into the design and specs early in the process can help prevent costly change orders during construction.

  • Use your estimated budget as a guide throughout the project. Many projects fail to earn this credit because they wait until all the materials have been purchased before calculating whether they have purchased enough FSC-certified wood to gain the LEED credit. 

  • Focus on “big ticket” wood items first. Materials like flooring, custom millwork, and framing, if they meet the certified wood requirement, may represent enough value to earn the credit. This approach allows you to Iimit the number of certified wood items you need to track and document, reducing contractor headaches and keeping overall costs low. If big-ticket items are not enough, target medium-priced items next, until you reach your goal.

  • A single product or material can contribute to multiple credits. For example, cabinetry made both locally and with certified wood contributes to MRc5 as well as MRc7. Focusing on products and materials with multiple environmental attributes can also limit the overall number of items that must be tracked. 

  • There is no minimum amount of wood you need to earn this credit. If the project does not use a lot of wood, and your baseline wood budget is low, purchase 95% FSC wood to gain two points (for credit and exemplary performance) at very low cost.

  • Pay attention to the different types of FSC certification, which you can find on product cut sheets. You will need a letter, cut sheet, or statement from the vendor indicating the type of FSC certification.

    • FSC Pure: valued at 100% of product cost. 
    • FSC Mixed Credit: valued at 100% of product cost.
    • FSC Mixed (XX)%: A percentage of FSC content is indicated, and you can claim that percentage of the product’s cost. 
    • FSC Recycled and FSC Recycled Credit: do not count toward this credit at all and can be left out of the baseline wood budget. FSC Recycled can count towards MRc4 Recycled Content.

  • Assemblies

  • When a product is made of multiple materials that may or may not all be FSC certified, use the following special considerations.

  • The cost value for the LEED calculation is determined by weight or volume as a percentage of the total. See the example below, and a spreadsheet you can use in the Documentation Toolkit.

  • Request that manufacturers provide assembly information broken down by weight, volume, or cost. 

  • It is unwise to assume that 100% of an assembly is FSC-certified, just because the product literature says that it is. Double-check with the manufacturer on what percentage of the assembly (by weight or volume choosing one consistently) is FSC wood and allocate that percentage of the total assembly cost toward the credit calculations.

  • FSC Recycled and FSC Recycled Credit: do not count toward this credit at all and can be left out of the baseline wood budget. FSC Recycled can count towards MRc4 Recycled Content.

  • Include in your new wood materials baseline budget the material cost (excluding labor) of all new wood items that apply under CSI Master Spec 1995 Format Divisions 2–10. Division 12 Furniture is optional. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and equipment costs are excluded. (See Resources for Master Spec information.)

Construction Documents

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  • For guidance and sample specification language for incorporating LEED specifications into construction documents, see MasterSpec, or the Whole Building Design Guide. (See Resources.)

  • Incorporating the LEED requirements directly into the drawings as well as into the specs is a good way to remind the contractor and subcontractors of the requirements. 

  • Include submittal requirements within each targeted construction spec section and add general requirements to the Division 1 bid package. Include a copy of any submittal documents that the contractor may need to fill out.

  • Revisit the baseline wood budget as the design evolves to make sure your numbers remain accurate and that you remain on track to achieve your goal for the credit.

  • Research specific products and incorporate FSC wood requirements into individual construction specifications. Require that vendors provide FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) tracking numbers on invoices, breakdown of wood costs and cut sheets.  See USGBC’s policy memo on CoC tracking for detail. (See Resources.)

  • Project contractors, subcontractors, and furniture installers are not required to be CoC certified, as long as they do not modify products beyond what is required for installation, according to the LEED Reference Guide.  However, vendors, suppliers, manufacturers are required to hold and provide CoC tracking numbers as the product moves throughout the supply chain.

  • You will need a letter, cut sheet, or statement from the vendor indicating what kind of FSC certification the wood has: FSC Pure or FSC mixed. FSC Recycled wood counts toward MRc4: Recycled Content, not this credit.

  • Whenever possible, designate in the construction specifications that contractors use specific product manufacturers that you have verified as suppliers of FSC-certified wood items. This will help save research time for the contractors.

  • Carefully review manufacturer data. Don’t pay attention to vague claims such as “Our product will give you a certified wood LEED point” (when it will only contribute to the credit). No matter what the manufacturer claims, you’ll still need to collect actual costs and FSC Chain-of-Custody numbers. 

  • Some projects require materials submittals from contractors as a stipulation of payment to ensure that contractors provide all the needed documentation.

  • There may be a longer lead time for ordering FSC wood. Make sure to order FSC wood early. Check with manufacturers early to learn about possible delays.

Construction

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  • Preparation Before Construction Begins

  • LEED documentation and materials tracking are usually the GC’s responsibility even though specific materials selection may have been already determined by the architect or designer.

  • The GC should hold an orientation meeting with the subcontractors to review the LEED responsibilities related specifically to their trades. This exercise helps to build trust and is crucial for obtaining buy-in from all participants in the process.

  • Give the GC and subcontractors the following tools to help them track materials data for all MR and IEQ credits. (See the Documentation Toolkit for access.)

    • Materials Calculator:  This is a master tracking spreadsheet that the GC can use internally to compile product information received from the subcontractors. The spreadsheet tracks LEED values across multiple LEED MR and IEQ credits.
    • Environmental Materials Reporting Form: This is a material tracking form that helps subcontractors record the environmental values for products they purchase. This can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing. 
    • Low-Emitting Materials Reporting Form: This is a VOC tracking sheet that helps subcontractors record the low-emitting qualities of the products they purchase and can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing.
    • Low-Emitting Material Limits: These tables, found with each credit here on LEEDuser, summarize the maximum VOC limits for different types of adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, composite wood, and flooring products. When subcontractors search for low-emitting products, they should consult these charts.

  • Enabling coordination and communication among the GC, subcontractors and design team early in the process can minimize scheduling delays and pushback from subcontractors.

  • During Construction

  • The contractor starts gathering and environmental data and cut sheets from subcontractors for approval. 

  • Review subcontractor product suggestions ahead of time to avoid the purchase of inappropriate materials and eliminate the need for costly change orders.  

  • A master spreadsheet facilitates information collection for subcontractors, giving them a road map of exactly what types of information to collect for each product.  

  • Assign a responsible party to input the subcontractors’ tracking forms into the Materials Calculator (see Documentation Toolkit). A LEED consultant or an administrative assistant in the GC’s office may be the best choice for this role.

  • Breaking out specific materials costs (excluding labor) for construction materials that contribute to LEED credits is a requirement for LEED MR credits. Some subcontractors prefer not to do this because there are always hidden markups in the materials that subcontractors purchase at wholesale. However, you can simply include the product markup when breaking out a product’s material cost from installation and labor costs.

  • Transfer all the data collected in the Materials Calculator spreadsheet (see Documentation Toolkit) to the LEED Online form and upload the product cut sheets. 

  • Only a random 20% sampling of product cut sheets need to be uploaded to LEED Online to document this credit.

  • The general contractor (GC) is oriented to this credit and the need to track FSC-certified wood, along with being oriented to all of their responsibilities, including construction IAQ management, low-emitting materials, environmental materials tracking, and construction waste management. 

  • Do additional research on the availability of any FSC-certified wood that you did not already research during the design phase before construction begins to ensure that the project earns this credit. If product decisions are made after construction begins, there may be less time to carefully review data sheets and much greater risk of using a noncompliant product.

  • The GC functions as the overall quality assurance provider for this credit. Responsibilities include conducting weekly reviews of subcontractor product submittals and tracking forms including checking that CoC numbers have been provided for FSC wood.

  • Streamline documentation and research by taking data gathered from subcontractors via the Environmental Materials Reporting Form and transfer it into a master spreadsheet for all the items being tracked across MR and IEQ credits. (See Documentation Toolkit.) For example, you may need to ask the millwork contractor for certified wood information for this credit, and information on urea-formaldehyde-free products for IEQc4.4. If one spreadsheet collects all the data, it can streamline your documentation, associated research, and help with quality control. 

Operations & Maintenance

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  • Keep a list of FSC-certified wood products used on the project so that O&M staff can use these products for future renovations.

  • Develop FSC-certified wood procurement recommendations and incorporate them into a purchasing policy. If pursuing EBOM certification, this will contribute to MRp1: Sustainable Purchasing Policy.  

  • USGBC

    Excerpted from LEED 2009 for Schools New Construction and Major Renovations

    COPYRIGHT © 2009 BY THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    MR Credit 7: Certified wood

    Intent

    To encourage environmentally responsible forest management.

    Requirements

    Use a minimum of 50% (based on cost) of wood-based materials and products that are certified in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council’s principles and criteria, for wood building components. These components include at a minimum, structural framing and general dimensional framing, flooring, sub-flooring, wood doors and finishes.

    Include only materials permanently installed in the project. Wood products purchased for temporary use on the project (e.g., formwork, bracing, scaffolding, sidewalk protection, and guard rails) may be included in the calculation at the project team’s discretion. If any such materials are included, all such materials must be included in the calculation. If such materials are purchased for use on multiple projects, the applicant may include these materials for only one project, at its discretion. Furniture may be included if it is included consistently in MR Credits 3. Materials Reuse, through MR Credit 7: 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..

    Potential Technologies & Strategies

    Establish a project goal for 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. products and identify suppliers that can achieve this goal. During construction, ensure that the FSC-certified wood products are installed and quantify the total percentage of FSC-certified wood products installed.

Organizations

Revised Requirements for Documenting the Use of FSC Certified Wood in LEED

This is a memo from the USGBC clarifying how to address the 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. calculation and detailing what documentation needs to be provided.

Forest Stewardship Council, United States

For information and practical tools such as databases of certified product suppliers, referral services, specification language, and the “Designing and Building with FSC” guide and forms.

Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) — Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers

Support on incorporating LEED requirements into specifications. 

FSC Facts and Figures

This slide deck shows the global 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 forest area by region. In North America, FSC forests account for 40.74% of certified forests.

Assembly Calculator

If your project has furniture or assemblies such as built-in bookshelves that mix 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. with steel or other materials that are not certified wood, you'll need to calculate the portion of the certified-wood portion of the assembly. This calculator can help.

Chain-of-Custody Certificate

Manufacturers should provide their 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. Chain of Custody (CoC) certification number on invoices. They may also provide their CoC certificate, like the sample shown here.

Product Cut Sheets

Look to product cut sheets like the sample shown here for information on how a wood product can contribute to credit for 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.. Note the annotated LEEDuser tips on the attached PDF document.

Materials Calculator

Teams can use this tool to track all materials across various MR and IEQ credits. It helps teams develop a roadmap of what information needs to be tracked for different products. It can also be used early on to create the baseline budget and ensure the products that are being used will apply to the various credit thresholds.

Environmental Materials Reporting Form

This is a materials tracking form that helps subcontractors record the environmental values of products they purchase. This can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing.

Letter to Contractor for MR and IEQ Credits

Use a letter like this sample to orient the contractor to their responsibilities for all MR and IEQ credits. This letter is an introduction that can be customized for the credits your project is pursuing.

Low-Emitting Materials Reporting Form

This is a VOC tracking sheet that helps subcontractors record the low-emitting qualities of the products they purchase and can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing. Use it specifically for earning low-emitting materials credits, but in conjunction with documentation for MR credits.

Materials Calculator

Teams can use this tool to track all materials across applicable MR and IEQ credits. It helps teams develop a roadmap of what information needs to be tracked for different products. It can also be used early on to create the baseline budget and ensure the products that are being used will apply to the various credit thresholds.

LEED Online Forms: Schools-2009 MR

The following links take you to the public, informational versions of the dynamic LEED Online forms for each Schools-2009 MR credit. You'll need to fill out the live versions of these forms on LEED Online for each credit you hope to earn.

Version 4 forms (newest):

Version 3 forms:

These links are posted by LEEDuser with USGBC's permission. USGBC has certain usage restrictions for these forms; for more information, visit LEED Online and click "Sample Forms Download."

Construction Submittal

HardhatDocumentation for this credit is part of the Construction Phase submittal.

9 Comments

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Caroline Kilbane Project Manager Lesko Associates
May 23 2013
LEEDuser Member
88 Thumbs Up

Does casework count for MR4, MR5 and MR7?

Casework is specified under division 12 of the CSI spec format, similar to loose furnishings. Does that mean we can and should exclude it from the calculations for the MR credits?

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Candace Small May 23 2013 Guest

I have always counted casework as part of the building unless it was modular and removable, such as the Herman Miller Compass system.

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Gabriela G
Apr 16 2013
Guest
8 Thumbs Up

FSC Mix

Our cabinets are 70% 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. Mix...our understanding is that FSC mix wood is "mixed source products that are a blend of FSC100%, recycled and or controlled fiber".
The LEED credit form states that only "wood based products that are included in MRc7 ar not considered salvaged, reused, or recycled".

If this is the case...can we still count our 70% of the value of the product, if the wood is FSC mix?

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Esther Kohout Kohout Woodwork, Inc
Feb 13 2013
Guest

MRcredit 7

If we make a desk, of multiple materials, ie plywood; particle board; plastic laminate & veneer. If 3 of the 4 materials have 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. mixed claim, & 1 is FSC 100% would we calculate it as 100% for all inputs? If 3 of the 4 inputs have recycled content, would any of the FSC material count towards the MRc7, or would that apply only to new wood?

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Gary Mosesman
Jan 04 2013
Guest
43 Thumbs Up

Sound Diffusing Ceiling Panels excluded as furniture?

Hello,
Can we exclude the sound diffusing ceiling panel assemblies from the 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. credit, and categorize them as furniture? They can be removed, if desired, so they are technically not a permanent component to the building.
Also, the sound diffusing panels are very costly in terms of price, but likely due to the other components of the assembly, if the manufacturer cannot break down the material/cost of the wood used in the assembly, can we exclude from the certified wood calculation, on the same basis we exclude the mechanical systems components?

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Ward Miller Chief Environmental Advisor Alpenglow Advisory
Apr 18 2011
LEEDuser Member
258 Thumbs Up

FSC Project Certification and Chain of Custody documentation...

The General Contractor (GC) in project I am currently working has specified 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. in the construction documents for the gym floor and window frames, which together will cost more than 50% of all the new wood in the building. The country where the project is does not have any gym floor or window manufacturers that are Chain-of-CustodyChain-of-custody (COC) is he path taken by raw materials, processed materials, and products from the forest to the consumer, including all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution. A chain-of-custody certificate number on invoices for nonlabeled products indicates that the certifier’s guidelines for product accounting have been followed. A chain-of-custody certification is not required by distributors of a product that is individually labeled with the Forest Stewardship Council logo and manufacturer’s chain-of-custody number. Chain of Custody (CoC) certification requirements are determined by Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Standard 40-004 v2-1. (CoC) certified, so even though the wood will be FSC, if the traditional method is used, it would not count towards the MRc7 LEED credit, so I have the following two questions: 1) If the GC purchases the wood (therefore having the invoice with the CoC number on it) directly from the FSC CoC certified supplier and contracts a local subcontractor to use the FSC wood to produce the required products, would this pass and earn the LEED point? 2) Does anyone know from experience whether an FSC partial or fully certified project would count towards LEED certification? Any other alternatives I might not have covered would be welcomed...

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Doug Pierce, AIA Architect / Sustainability Strategist , Perkins+Will Apr 23 2011 LEEDuser Expert 1694 Thumbs Up

Hi Ward - I would lean heavily towards saying 'No' - the products will not qualify to support earning the MR7 credit. In my opinion, having the Contractor purchase the wood and then having a sub-contractor modify it will not meet the COC requirements for LEED. The rational for my opinion comes from the "Document Addenda, LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction, 2009 Edition (first edition)" Here's the link (you should take a look at this document and come to you own conclusion):

http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6392

Page 28 states that "Entities that install an 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 product on the project building/site (typically project contractors or subcontractors, but also furniture installers and the like), do not require CoC certification as long as THEY DO NOT MODIFY THE PRODUCTS PACKAGING OR FORM EXCEPT AS REQURED FOR INSTALLATION (capitalization added). Contractors and sub-contractors that temporarily possess FSC-certified material prior to installation should be careful not mix or contaminate the FSC-certified material with non-FSC-certified material."

In my opinion, milling the wood into flooring or converting it to windows would qualify as modifying its form - going far beyond basic installation.

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Brian Smith CDT, QCM LEED AP BD+C BIM Street - Sustainable Intelligent Design, LLC
Sep 28 2010
Guest
165 Thumbs Up

MRc7 collecting documentation

Does the value of this credit exclude labor, hardware, delivery when quantifying casework, stackables, etc.

Does the value of this credit include all paper based products, for instance; laminates are paper based injected with resins. Would this product need to be quantified and added to the total wood on the project?

Thanks for your anticipated comments

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Apr 23 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

Brian, labor is excluded from the materials figures for the MR credits.

Since the credit is about "wood," paper products would normally be excluded, but if you wanted to include them because you found 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. content, I would think you could.

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