New General Services Administration standards place limitations on high carbon-emitting building materials for all major projects under the GSA umbrella.
The new rules require federal contractors to use climate-friendly concrete, asphalt, and metal products in all the agency’s major projects. GSA oversees $75 billion in annual contracts and is responsible for a real estate portfolio of more than 370 million sf of structures.
The standards also will govern projects funded by the bipartisan infrastructure bill that became law last year. GSA says the standards are intended to catalyze clean energy innovation and strengthen American leadership in clean manufacturing.
Contractors will have to declare the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their building materials via environmental product declarations. Carbon emitted from a product’s extraction, transportation, and manufacturing will be considered.
Related Stories
| Jan 31, 2014
DOE releases new efficiency standards for halide lamps
The Energy Department has finalized new energy efficiency standards for metal halide lamp fixtures, which are used in lighting for big box stores and parking lots.
| Jan 31, 2014
New LEED online platform now available for LEED v4 projects
LEED v4 projects will be the first to experience the new LEED Online platform with streamlined documentation and processes.
| Jan 23, 2014
Low-slope roofs with PVs tested for wind uplift resistance
Tests showed winds can cause photovoltaic panels to destroy waterproof membranes.
| Jan 16, 2014
Bio-based materials could transform the future of sustainable building
Recent winners of the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Challenge include a brick made from bacterial byproducts and insulation created from agricultural waste products.
| Jan 16, 2014
ASHRAE revised climatic data for building design standards
ASHRAE Standard 169, Climatic Data for Building Design Standards, now includes climatic data for 5,564 locations throughout the world.
| Jan 15, 2014
ConsensusDocs releases updated subcontract for federal work
The new version addresses recent changes in federal contracting.
| Jan 15, 2014
First quarter 2014 LEED rating system addenda now available
There are 71 new LEED Interpretations, including 65 for Homes and Multifamily Midrise.
| Jan 10, 2014
What the states should do to prevent more school shootings
To tell the truth, I didn’t want to write about the terrible events of December 14, 2012, when 20 children and six adults were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. I figured other media would provide ample coverage, and anything we did would look cheap or inappropriate. But two things turned me around.
| Jan 9, 2014
Special report: Can design prevent another Sandy Hook?
Our experts say no, but it could save lives. In this report, they offer recommendations on security design you can bring to your K-12 clients to prevent, or at least mitigate, a Sandy Hook on their turf.
| Jan 8, 2014
New materials should help boost sustainability in cities by 2020
Newer developments include windows made with nano-crystals that control intense heat penetration while lighting living areas from the outside.