Sustainability E-News
Seeing the Full Picture
|
|
From The Editor
I've often said there's no "Holy Grail" in talking about sustainability. There are always trade-offs involved, and true sustainability is really an ideal. Two articles linked below are a testament to that. The first is the second part of a two-part article about the amount and type of insulation to use in a building envelope. The second discusses the use of recycled content in building products (in this case using recycled concrete). Both are important reminders for designers and specifiers to consider the full picture when selecting building products: life cycle assessment across the full spectrum of environmental, economical, and social concerns.
Christine "Tina" Subasic, PE, LEED AP
CSubasicPE@aol.com
NOTE: Inclusion in this newsletter is not an endorsement of the products and materials featured, nor have these products been evaluated by TMS or the editor. Furthermore, the views expressed in the articles featured are those of the article authors.
|
|
GREEN BUILDING NEWS
Choosing insulation for carbon value – Why more is not always better (Part 2)
STEVEN WINTER ASSOCIATES
Part 1
of this blog post highlighted two of the most commonly used insulations in the U.S.– XPS board and closed-cell polyurethane spray foam – and noted that they are produced with blowing agents (HFC-based) that are putting more carbon into the air during construction than they save during building operation for many decades. So the question is, if we don’t use these insulations, how can we make up for the loss of the helpful qualities that has made us dependent on them? One part of the answer comes from the development of new materials. Read more
here
.
How Low Can We Go? Historic preservation and carbon reduction
AIA NY
This recording
of AIA of New York’s Center for Architecture educational session features practical information on updating historic masonry buildings for energy efficiency, including an introduction to
OSCAR
, the Online Sustainable Conservation Assistance Resource. OSCAR provides information including case studies on sustainable restorations.
Permeability and performance in water-resistive barriers
BUILDING ENCLOSURE MAGAZINE
This article
reviews the basics of water-resistive barriers (WRB) and makes recommendations for identifying the proper choice for applications.
The New Sustainability: Why everything we do matters
MASONRY MAGAZINE
When the green building movement first came into the limelight decades ago, the focus for materials was primarily on recycled content and renewable resources. But today the sustainability of products has evolved based on changes in green building programs and also based on the quality of information and documentation now available. Project teams are now looking at the sustainability of the entire process of how a product gets to the market. To learn more about the current picture of sustainable building and how natural stone fits in,
read this interview
with Jason F. McLennan, founder of the International Living Future Institute.
Resilient design case study
HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS MAGAZINE
ASHRAE’s
Winter 2020 edition
of High Performing Buildings Magazine includes a feature on resilient design. The Florida community of Alys Beach has adopted resilient design standards for its infrastructure, buildings and ancillary structures. Features include flooding prevention and cool roofs and walls, and structures that can withstand winds and rain up to 150 miles per hour.
|
CODES and STANDARDS NEWS
This newsletter has featured many articles on the benefits of implementing up-to-date model codes. The article below discusses the latest model energy code. ~Tina
|
Code, standard help builders maximize sustainability
ENR
The 2021 version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is expected to give commercial and residential builders additional flexibility to make projects energy-efficient based on design, building type and location. The International Organization for Standardization also has developed a standard to help architects, engineers and other stakeholders optimize the sustainability of a building throughout its life cycle.
Read more
.
|
GREEN PRODUCT NEWS
Evaluating building products is challenging, especially when there are so many factors that should be considered. Oftentimes specifiers and designers focus only on one or two attributes of a product. As the articles below note, there is much more to be considered. ~Tina
Does it make sense to recycle aggregates?
ARCHDAILY.COM
Reusing aggregates for new concrete structures is not a closed cycle for recycling the material, Eduardo Souza writes in
this article
. Studies have shown that using recycled aggregates "might save abiotic raw materials, but can increase energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions if, due to a higher void content, more cement is used to manufacture the concrete."
Manufacturers use Cradle to Cradle principles to achieve a circular economy
USGBC+
In an ideal world, every enterprise would form part of a circular economy: designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.
Read
how some companies are tackling this issue.
Cemex UK introduces new low-carbon product
INTERNATIONAL CEMENT REVIEW ONLINE
Cemex UK has introduced a ready-mixed concrete product range that features a new geopolymer cement to reduce CO2 emissions by 70%. Cemex says it is the first carbon-neutral, ready-mixed concrete product in the UK.
Read more
.
|
EDUCATIONAL NEWS
It's not too late! Register now for these upcoming events! Hope to see you there. ~Tina
Upstate Masonry Institute Masonry Master Class
UPSTATE MASONRY INSTITUTE
The Upstate (NY) Masonry Institute invites you to
this one of a kind event in the Capital Region! The program will offer continuing education to build better buildings using masonry. This Masonry Master Class is open to anyone interested in learning how masonry can contribute to a safe, sustainable and cost effective building design. Topics include
sustainable design and masonry
,
energy efficient masonry designs
, and cost study of multi-residential construction.
Click here
for more information.
Webinar: What’s New in LEED v4.1
THE MASONRY SOCIETY
The latest version of LEED, LEED v4.1, was released in early 2019 proved a challenge to many designers and manufacturers. The Materials and Resources credits were particularly problematic. This new webinar explains how LEED v4.1 attempts to address these issues by adding incremental achievement levels and revising the thresholds and criteria in many of the credits. To register for this April 9, 2020 webinar,
click here
.
Register Now for The Masonry Society Spring Meetings
MASONRYSOCIETY.ORG
Registration is now open for the TMS Spring Meetings to be held in Charlotte, NC April 30 - May 2, 2020. For more information on the upcoming meeting and TMS Committee activities visit the
TMS website
.
|
To Subscribe, click
here
.
|
Advancing the Knowledge of Masonry
|
Please note: Your email address is from a list solely owned and maintained by The Masonry Society (TMS) for our exclusive email purposes. If you are a TMS Member, participate in a TMS Committee, or have requested TMS mailings, your email is essential to your membership, committee participation (including virtual meeting announcements and ballots), delivery of various TMS e-publications, and meeting/seminar announcements. Unsubscribing through our email sender, Constant Contact, will block all emails from TMS. If you would like to specify what type of emails you would like to receive from TMS, have questions about our email policy, or would like to subscribe to our newsletters, please contact TMS directly at
info@masonrysociety.org
. To view the TMS Privacy Policy, click
here
.
|
|
TMS's Sustainability
E-Newsletter Sponsors
Platinum Level
|
Concrete Masonry Association of California & Nevada ***
|
TMS Sustainability
E-Newsletter Sponsors
Click on the links above to learn more about each of these organizations who have graciously sponsored this E-Newsletter. The Sponsors designated with an asterisk (*) are also TMS Members at the following levels:
*** Sustaining Member
** Affiliate Member
* Individual Member
Interested in becoming a Newsletter Sponsor?
Contact
TMS
for more information on becoming a Sustainability E-Newsletter Sponsor and having your organization's logo appear before thousands of subscribers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
