Building Materials

Construction Waste Management
Waste from this project, over 244 cubic yards, was diverted from landfills during construction. The waste was recycled or reused for other construction projects.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, “Commercial construction generates between 2 and 2.5 pounds of solid waste per square foot and the majority of this waste can potentially be recycled.”

Austin Energy Green Building provides information on implementing construction waste management in your project.

Recycled Content
Materials in this building contain a total 16% recycled content by cost.

Purchasing building products with recycled content:
	Reduces demand on landfills
	Reduces energy consumption
	Supports environmentally friendly businesses

Local/Regional Materials
The construction of this building supported local and regional businesses. Of the total cost of project materials, more than 34% was locally or regionally manufactured and almost 60% was locally or regionally harvested.

Buying local products reduces energy used for transport and supports the local economy.

Certified Wood
By cost 92% of the total wood in this project was sustainably harvested (and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council).

Sustainably harvested wood is selectively cut. Harvesters pay great attention to preserving the richness of the forest ecology. Commercially harvested forests are “clear cut.” All the trees in a particular location are razed, destroying ecological habitat.

High Volume Fly-Ash Concrete
This building's slab is 20% fly-ash content. Fly-ash is a waste-product from coal-fired power plants. The fly-ash actually increases the strength of the concrete.

Fly ash, and other types of mineral admixtures, not only improves the strength and workability of cement, but goes a long way in reducing environmental impacts. According to Environmental Building News, “The 1.5 billion metric tons of cement produced worldwide in 1997 account for over 6% of carbon emissions… Increasing the fraction of mineral admixtures in all concrete from 15% of the cementing materials to 50% would eliminate up to 600 million tonnes of CO 2 emissions. That’s equivalent to removing one quarter of all cars in the world.”