Sustainability E-News
Resilience Toolkits
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From The Editor
It is really quite impressive when you consider the resources available to aid designers and manufacturers in their quest for more resilient and sustainable designs and products. Most did not even exist a couple of years ago. While we cannot possibly list them all, this newsletter often includes new sources for guidance and information on these and related topics. This edition contains links to two new websites, one from the International Code Council (ICC) and another from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). These and other sites can form a resiliency 'toolkit' for those looking for more information, best practices, and more. Do you have a favorite site? Let me know, and I may include it in a future edition.
Christine "Tina" Subasic, PE, LEED AP
CSubasicPE@gmail.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.
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GREEN BUILDING NEWS
Engineers are increasingly considering resilience as part of their designs. The first article below highlights some ways to incorporate this important feature. ~Tina
How engineers can think about resilience
ENGINEERED SYSTEMS
Engineers will need to think more about the factors of recovery and adaptation in their designs to make them more resilient to various kinds of shock in the future. This advice comes from Scott Campbell, senior vice president of structures and codes for the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, in this article. This entails the concept of functional recovery, something that is measurable, easily understood and for which standards are now available.
Cities pledge sustainable pandemic recovery
THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
Municipal leaders from around the world are signing on to the 1000 Cities Adapt Now initiative -- which aims to ensure that pandemic recovery efforts also prioritize sustainability, organizers announced at the virtual Climate Adaptation Summit. "All city leaders were urging work on a resilient recovery, to work on an economic recovery but one that includes adaptation, justice and equity," says Rotterdam chief resilience officer Arnoud Molenaar. Read more.
Study: Carbon pricing schemes have been largely ineffective
E&T MAGAZINE
The practice has been a less effective driver in helping tackle climate change and drive technological innovation than governments might have hoped, according to this article.
NYC reports on 10 years of energy and water use
URBAN GREEN COUNCIL
New York City's 2020 Energy and Water Use Report created by Urban Green Council presents a trend analysis of 10 years of benchmarked energy and emissions. It evaluates the energy and water use of midsize buildings for the first time and assesses the progress NYC’s benchmarked building stock has made towards citywide decarbonization goals and mandates. Read more here.
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CODES and STANDARDS NEWS
The International Code Council (ICC) is proposing changing the way the IECC is developed to a consensus standards process. At the heart of the issue is whether the first costs of improving energy efficiency of buildings are worth their long term benefits. Most readers of this newsletter would probably say yes, though payback periods and benefits of individual measures can vary quite a bit. You can read more about the issue below. ~Tina
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Controversy over proposed changes to ICC's model Energy Code development
ENR (tiered subscription)
The International Code Council is proposing a drastic and controversial change that would streamline the development process for its model International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), basing it instead on the system used by the American National Standards Institute. Those favoring the status quo maintain that the existing process, though complex and many-layered, has merit. The impetus for change grew out of some dissatisfaction with the three-year update cycle for the 2021 IECC. Homebuilders, energy interests, and manufacturers maintained that the energy efficiency measures in the update would raise house prices. Most building officials, architects, and energy-efficiency advocates say those short-term costs pale compared to longer-range energy savings and environmental benefits.
New energy efficiency and carbon reduction resources launches
ICCSAFE.ORG
A new Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction webpage has been launched to help users implementing the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or seeking advanced energy and carbon reduction codes and policies beyond the 2021 IECC. On the website, users will find resources for adoption, compliance and enforcement, a toolkit for advanced energy efficiency, and a searchable database of resources and model policies. Read more.
Introducing RiskFootprint: Enhancing resilience through climate risk analysis
USGBC.ORG
Last year, USGBC and GBCI outlined an expanded suite of programs and resources focused on improving building and community resilience in the face of climate risks. While governments and businesses focus on economic recovery, frequent and severe climate events threaten to interrupt progress. Key among the commitments outlined is a partnership with Coastal Risk Consulting and its RiskFootprint™ tool to provide high-quality climate risk analyses for buildings, communities and cities. Learn more.
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GREEN PRODUCT NEWS
Innovation continues to reduce the carbon footprint of cementitious materials, including masonry. Check out the links below. ~Tina
Adding environmental impacts into the procurement of building products
MIT CSHUB
This latest topic summary on sustainable procurement policies explains their basics and presents a set of solutions that could improve their comparability and effectiveness.
University looks to improve concrete, cement with pyrolyzed plastic ash
NCMA
Pyrolyzed plastic ash is worthless, but perhaps not for long. Rice University scientists have turned their attention to Joule heating of the material, a byproduct of plastic recycling processes. A strong jolt of energy flashes it into graphene. The technique by the lab of Rice chemist James Tour produces turbostratic graphene flakes that can be directly added to other substances such as cement paste and concrete, dramatically increasing their compressive strength. Read more here.
Reducing the carbon footprint in concrete masonry
CO2 CONCRETE
CO2Concrete's technology platform enables masonry and precast concrete producers to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their products while increasing profitability. The approach uses low cost, readily available materials and makes use of CO2 directly from industrial flue gases, eliminating the need for carbon capture. The company produced over 10,000 ASTM C90 blocks during its first pilot trials in Wyoming last summer and has initiated commercialization discussions with CO2 and masonry partners in the US, Europe and India in parallel to conducting additional trials in the Southeast. Read more.
Circular Views podcast now available
WBCSD.ORG
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s (WBCSD) first circular economy podcast - Circular Views – aims to provide more insights from companies at the forefront of the circular journey. For their first episode, business leaders discuss how it is possible to measure circularity at the company level.
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EDUCATIONAL NEWS
Keep an eye on this newsletter for information coming soon about The Masonry Society's Spring Meetings. In the meantime, check out the opportunities below. ~Tina
Strength Design of Masonry Night School
MASONRYSOCIETY.ORG
TMS Masonry Night School continues with Strength Design of Masonry. Richard M. Bennett and John M. Hochwalt will present a six-session Strength Design of Masonry Night School. With 4 sessions left, it's not too late to sign up! This course covers topics such as the design of beams and walls (for in-plane and out-of-plane loads), seismic detailing, and design of connectors. It will provide in-depth instruction for anyone interested in designing more efficient masonry structures using strength design of masonry.
Greenbuild 2021 Call for Speakers is now open
USGBC
Greenbuild is now accepting speaker proposals from industry experts who want to share their knowledge about green building, design, health and wellness, architecture, construction, engineering, planning and more. Deadline to submit is February 23. For more information visit https://www.greenbuildexpo.com/en/home.html.
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