Austin, Texas mandates construction recycling

Construction projects in Austin, Texas that are larger than 5,000 sf are now required to recycle or salvage at least half of their refuse.

The new ordinance is expected to divert at least 76,000 tons of material from landfills. Another ordinance will mandate that demolition sites recycle beginning in 2019. About 1,500 projects that would now fall under the mandate had generated about 152,000 tons of concrete, metal, lumber, and other waste in 2014-2015.

The city estimates the ordinance will increase construction costs by 0.1% to 0.2%. Companies working on large projects will have to submit reports on the quantity of materials they recycle or salvage. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor for noncompliance and pay a $500 fine.

City lawmakers developed the ordinance to forward Austin’s goal of diverting 95% of all waste from landfills by 2040. About 20% of the city’s waste is from construction and demolition materials.

The new elements of the facility now include: efficient lighting with day-lighting controls and occupancy sensors, a high-efficiency HVAC system used in conjunction with a newly constructed thermal envelope to help reduce energy consumption, and the installation of low-flow fixtures to reduce water consumption.

The building is 27% more energy efficient than similar buildings, uses 21% less

| Feb 22, 2012

Siemens earns LEED certification for Maryland office

The Beltsville facility, which also earned the ENERGY STAR Label for energy performance, implemented a range of energy efficiency, water conservation and sustainable operations measures as part of the certification process.

| Feb 22, 2012

Suffolk awarded Boston post office renovation project

Renovation of art deco landmark will add 21,000 square feet of retail and 110 new parking spaces.

| Feb 20, 2012

Comment period for update to USGBC's LEED Green Building Program now open

This third draft of LEED has been refined to address technical stringency and rigor, measurement and performance tools, and an enhanced user experience.

Four types of sustainable roofing systems from Tremco Roofing and Building Maint

| Feb 17, 2012

Tremco Inc. headquarters achieves LEED Gold certification

Changes were so extensive that the certification is for new construction and not for renovation; officially, the building is LEED-NC.

| Feb 15, 2012

Code allowance offers retailers and commercial building owners increased energy savings and reduced construction costs

Specifying air curtains as energy-saving, cost-cutting alternatives to vestibules in 3,000-square-foot buildings and larger has been a recent trend among consulting engineers and architects.