flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Product-specific EPDs seen as key aid to earning green building credits

Codes and Standards

Product-specific EPDs seen as key aid to earning green building credits

The product-specific EPDs allow designers to more quickly earn a LEED v4 credit in the Materials & Resources category.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | April 6, 2017

Pixabay Public Domain

Construction and design professionals can more easily find and use sustainable building materials with product-specific environmental product declarations (EPDs).

Some construction materials vendors are making such specific information readily available. For example, two flooring manufacturers, Tarkett, with a new product catalog, and Gerflor USA, with new product-specific environmental product declarations (EPDs), have addressed this need.

Gerflor has published product-specific EPDs for all of its commercial flooring brands including Mipolam, Taraflex, Taralay and Creation LVT. Product-specific EPDs allow architects and designers to more quickly and efficiently earn a LEED v4 credit in the Materials & Resources category, according to Gerflor.

Tarkett, in partnership with Sustainable Minds, has launched the SM Transparency Catalog. The catalog includes sustainability information on more than 850 Tarkett products. EPDs provide a comprehensive overview of a product’s environmental impact.

Related Stories

Senior Living Design | Feb 15, 2023

Passive House affordable senior housing project opens in Boston

Work on Phase Three C of The Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony, a 55-apartment midrise building in Boston that stands out for its use of Passive House design principles, was recently completed. Designed by The Architectural Team (TAT), the four-story structure was informed throughout by Passive House principles and standards.

Sustainability | Feb 9, 2023

New guide for planning, designing, and operating onsite water reuse systems

The Pacific Institute, a global nonpartisan water think tank, has released guidance for developers to plan, design, and operate onsite water reuse systems. The Guide for Developing Onsite Water Systems to Support Regional Water Resilience advances circular, localized approaches to managing water that reduce a site’s water footprint, improve its resilience to water shortage or other disruptions, and provide benefits for local communities and regional water systems.

Sustainability | Feb 9, 2023

University of Southern California's sustainability guidelines emphasize embodied carbon

A Buro Happold-led team recently completed work on the USC Sustainable Design & Construction Guidelines for the University of Southern California. The document sets out sustainable strategies for the design and construction of new buildings, renovations, and asset renewal projects.

Codes and Standards | Feb 8, 2023

GSA releases draft of federal low embodied carbon material standards

The General Services Administration recently released a document that outlines standards for low embodied carbon materials and products to be used on federal construction projects.

Multifamily Housing | Feb 3, 2023

HUD unveils report to help multifamily housing developers overcome barriers to offsite construction

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences and MOD X, has released the Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap, a strategic report that presents the key knowledge gaps and research needs to overcome the barriers and challenges to offsite construction.

Codes and Standards | Feb 1, 2023

New Jersey to allow private firms to conduct construction inspections

New Jersey recently passed a law that will allow towns to supplement construction code enforcement with help from the private sector. The legislation, which received bipartisan support, also allows municipalities to enter into shared service agreements with neighboring towns for construction inspections. 

Standards | Jan 31, 2023

Standard establishes best practices for rainwater and stormwater harvesting system

The market is seeing an increasing number of residential, commercial, and industrial rainwater and stormwater systems being installed.

Green | Jan 26, 2023

Corporations fall short on climate pledges by failing to embed net-zero actions into operations

Many corporations are failing to implement simple, practical steps needed for them to hit their stated decarbonization goals, according to a survey of more than 300 operations managers across key industrial sectors including construction, energy, and chemicals in the U.S., U.K., and Germany.  

K-12 Schools | Jan 25, 2023

As gun incidents grow, schools have beefed up security significantly in recent years

Recently released federal data shows that U.S. schools have significantly raised security measures in recent years. About two-thirds of public schools now control access to school grounds—not just the building—up from about half in the 2017-18 school year. 

Concrete | Jan 24, 2023

Researchers investigate ancient Roman concrete to make durable, lower carbon mortar

Researchers have turned to an ancient Roman concrete recipe to develop more durable concrete that lasts for centuries and can potentially reduce the carbon impact of the built environment.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021

Â