Project: Thermal Break Strategies for Cladding Systems in Building Structures

Check out this developing project!

http://www.coe.neu.edu/Research/thermal-breaks/project_summary.html

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Join Green Structure Group on Linked-In

The Green Structure group is dedicated to improving the environmental performance of built structure. It is open to all structural engineers who wish to explore and advance best practices in ecological design. The group is supported and managed by the SEI Sustainability Committee. Learn more here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Green-Structure-4892266/about

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Life Cycle Assessment Software Now Free Download

The Athena Impact Estimator® (IE) is the most widely used North American life-cycle assessment tool made for designers that allows one to choose the structural system and specification. In order to significantly increase the user base of the IE within the architectural/engineering design community, the software is now offered free of charge. Visit http://calculatelca.com/software/impact-estimator/ for more information and to download.

The SEI Sustainability Committee is recognized in Athena Institute’s recent press release for our contribution to improvements made to their latest version of the Impact Estimator® (Version 4.2.01, released Sept 2012).  The LCA working group of the committee issued a wish list to Athena in late 2011 and worked through the year to fulfill one of the top wish list items: the addition of composite floors (concrete-filled metal deck over steel beams) to the floor and roof assembly options. This effort took a bridging of Athena with AISC and ensuring the translation of data from AISC into the tool met the needs of structural engineering users. The LCA WG will continue to push for implementation of other wish list items in the next release.”

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How to Reuse a Floating Bridge

Seattle's 520 Floating Bridge

The Washington State DOT has required that the design-build team for a new bridge must reuse or recycle the existing bridge in a sustainable way. An international design ideas competition has been born of this challenge. Favorite options for reusing the existing pontoons have included floating docks, breakwaters, and piers. It's likely that the winner of the ideas competition will be more creative.

Results of the competition are to be announced live at the 2012 Seattle Design Festival and subsequently posted online. Log on to view the winning design. Did you have a better idea? What other design options come to mind? Please share your comments here.

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Coal Waste Processors Sue EPA

Coal waste products, like flyash, have long been used as complimentary cementitious materials to improve strength and durability of concrete while reducing cement content and therefore the embodied carbon of concrete. Until recently, even the EPA has been supportive of the commercial use of such materials. Now the EPA is taking a second look at the heavy metal content in these byproducts. A final ruling on whether to classify these materials as hazardous waste remains in limbo, but the uncertainty has angered the largest coal waste producers who have filed suit against the EPA demanding a deadline for the ruling.

Jim Vallette of the Healthy Building Network has published an interesting article outlining the positions of each side on this case. Online at https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:1405374.11099227719/rid:e87b8c542d06d8efb7270d2f375cc924

This issue was addressed in a previous blog article on this website: House Bill Takes on EPA Ruling Process

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The Value of Structural Engineering to Sustainable Construction

Numerous rating schemes have been proposed to incentivize green design, but how well do these codes relate to the building structures. The Institution of Structural Engineers set out to identify which green codes, if any, successfully addressed structures. Their report, titled The Value of Structural Engineering to Sustainable Construction, takes a methodical look at provisions in eight main categories common to most of the rating systems:

1. Reuse
2. Reduction of Portland cement
3. Recycled content
4. Responsible sourcing 
5. Local sourcing
6. Life cycle assessment
7. Efficiency & future proofing
8. Health implications

The conclusions are generally predictable, but the report does a nice job of recommending changes to improve the codes. Highest on the list are needed changes to those credits witch promote a perversion of the sustainable intent, like achieving full recycled content credit by using structural steel (over 90% post-industrial recycled content by nature) or using more interior finish for it's recycled content when a polished concrete wall would be perfectly fine. The best features of the report are the meticulously researched figures and user surveys. Anyone preparing a talk on sustainable structures should read this report for statistical backup to their conclusions.

Download the report at:
http://www.istructe.org/webtest/files/ff/ff7707de-d68f-47f2-b002-b472d90861d8.pdf

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Like a Radiator: Thermal Bridging

Some architectural gems have recently taken a lot of heat for loosing a lot of heat. Thermal bridging is a pervasive problem for all structures with monolithic slab cantilevering balconies. The authors of this article hosted at buildingscience.com have turned their infra-red camera's on Chicago's iconic Aqua tower. Beyond simply highlighting shortcomings, some more efficient alternatives are proposed.

http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi062-thermal-bridges-redux/view

Link provided by committee member Kathrina Simonen, R.A., S.E, LEED-AP, assistant professor at the University of Washington.

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Thermal Breaks for Brick Shelf Angles

The Brick Industry Association (BIA) has an article in their most recent issue of Brick in Architecture magazine which includes information and detailing of thermal breaks for brick shelf angles in veneer construction over cold-formed steel.  

The link to the magazine: http://www.gobrick.com/Portals/25/docs/Publications/Brick%20In%20Architecture/BinA%2069-1%20Final%20PDF.pdf

 

The article begins on page 9; the section entitled “Thermal Design” begins near the end of page 13, and the details are on pages 12 and 13.

 

BIA has recommended that AISI reference this article in their upcoming rewrite of the steel stud brick veneer design guide; I found out about it in a memo received this morning with a BIA review of the old design guide.

 

Provided by committee member Don Allen, P.E.

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Gray to Green: How to Make Cleaner Concrete

Sustainable concrete has captured the imagination of always provocative Popular Mechanics. A recent web article explores radical new ways to green concrete. Most structural engineers are well versed in supplemental cementitous materials like fly ash and blast furnace slag, but have you considered rice husks, sewage sludge, and geopolymers? The article also suggests using prcelain from recycled toilets for aggregate and hempcrete blocks as an alternate to CMU. Finally, a PM article wouldn't be complete without some exploration of space. Strategies are discussed for converting moonrocks to traditional or sulfur-based concretes.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/masonry/gray-to-green-how-to-make-cleaner-concrete#slide-1

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Diaster Resilience Part of Sustainability Too

The Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building at University of California, San Francisco. (Bruce Damonte, courtesy Rafael Vinoly Architects)

Surviving and thriving after natural events like earthquakes, storms, and tsunamis is a key component of sustainability. Although designers have previously placed more emphasis on material selection and energy performance, there's no disputing that buildings that survive extreme events are more sustainable than those that must be rebuilt. This article in the Pacific Standard further explores disaster resilient AND sustainable structural engineering. http://www.psmag.com/environment/disaster-resilience-part-of-sustainability-too-40935/ 

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Hajjar & Webster Design for Deconstruction

What if aging buildings could be dismantled and their components reused? Jerry Hajjar, Northeastern University, and Mark Webster, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, have received a $250,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation to study design for deconstruction. Using structural clamps to attach precast plank to steel girders is one of the concepts to be evaluated. Read more about their work on the news@Northeastern web publication. http://www.northeastern.edu/news/2012/05/design-for-deconstruction-building-sustainability-into-our-buildings/

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Passive House Institute US

Is it possible to heat a house with a hair dryer? If so, it would probably be a Passive House.  The Passive House concept is currently the highest energy standard that residential homes can pursue. Over the past 10 years, more than 15,000 buildings in Europe have been designed to the Passive House standard. Learn more by following the link.

http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PHIUSHome.html

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Structural Engineers Association of Northern California

The engineers of Northern California have long been leaders in sustainable design. Many of the SEI Sustainability Committee's founding members hailed from this region. The SEAONC Sustainability Committee continues to meet and discuss advances in sustainable structures. See their latest news by following the link.
http://www.seaonc.org/member/committees/sustain.asp

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ASCE Task Committee on Sustainability

The ASCE Task Committee on Sustainable Design was established in 2009 with the charge to:

·      Define the role of ASCE in advancing sustainability

·      Review work by the USGBC

·      Develop an action plan for ASCE to advance the principles of sustainable development

·      Determine if certification of civil engineers would advance sustainable design

The primary outcome of their efforts to date was the publication of a Sustainability Action Plan for ASCE. Learn more by following the link.

http://www.asce.org/Sustainability/ASCE-and-Sustainability/Committee-on-Sustainability/

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IStructE Sustainability

It’s often said that Europe has been leading the way in sustainable design. The Institution of Structural Engineers is the world’s largest membership organization dedicated to structural engineering. The London-based organization believes that structural engineers play a vital role in the sustainable development of the build environment. Learn more about the organization and their tips for greening design by following the link.

http://www.istructe.org/resources-centre/technical-topic-areas/sustainability

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Green Globes

The Green Globes system is a design and management tool for assessing building environmental performance. The rating system utilizes an online assessment program and offers guidance for green building design, operation and management. In 2005, the Green Globes Initiative was the first green building organization to be accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Green Globes continues to be influential in sustainable design, particularly in Canada, where the federal government adopted it. Follow the link for more information.

www.greenglobes.com/

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