As the green building industry has evolved, so has the way concrete helps structures become more sustainable. Concrete can help earn points toward LEED certification in every major credit category. And as LEED-NC has evolved, the way it treats concrete has, too.

One of the most striking changes is in the Materials & Resources category, says David Shepherd, director of sustainable development for PCA. “As green becomes more mainstream, what we did five years ago becomes more readily accepted as standard operating procedure,” he explains. Because USGBC’s mission is to transform the marketplace, he says, they raise the bar: where in earlier versions of LEED-NC a building could earn one point toward Credit 4.1 for using 5 percent recycled content, that has now doubled to requiring 10 percent recycled content, and the same goes for Credit 4.2 — doubled to requiring 20 percent recycled content.

“That revision touts the impact of concrete,” explains Shepherd. “They’re changing how concrete is specified, and giving more value to that part of concrete that has the biggest impact…and encouraging use of supplementary cementitious materials.”

Link to “Earning Points” at ED&C

Students came up with ideas for novel uses of concrete in sustainable design during the 3rd Annual “Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World” competition.  Sponsored by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) along with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and administered by Association of Collegiate School of Architecture (ACSA), top winners included Antonio Vigil’s “Recycling Center + Mercado”.  Vigil states:

The site is tucked adjacent to Interstate 25 in Albuquerque, New Mexico
where there are several large wholesale and retail stores nearby. These
types of consumer attractions exemplify the waste and mass consumption
that have plagued our cities for far too long. The introduction of a
Recycling Center in this area is a strong statement on its own. However,
in order for this center to engage the community as well as compete
against the adjacent stores, another program must be added to this
center. The addition of a local Mercado [market] where people can sell
and exchange their own goods, not only speaks to a local cultural tradition
but helps reinforce the idea of reuse.

He also notes of the design that the bales of recycled goods mirror the design of the center–

These bales, which are bound by a wrapping of wires to hold the condensed
recycled goods together in order to be sold and shipped, are
reflected by the concrete structure that wraps this collection of uses
together into a cohesive design.

Link to PCA Press Release

Thanks for visiting Palmetto Gunite’s new home on the web!  Now that we have a blog, we’ll be updating the site with info on what the company is up to.  You can look forward to up-to-the-minute news on the projects we’re working on as well as information on our new green initiatives.  Be sure to subscribe by email or newsfeed to stay updated!