Los Angeles Community College District Sustainability Conference 2007

On November 30th, the Los Angeles Community College District held its annual Sustainability Conference at the Biltmore Hotel. The conference was well attended, with over 500 guests visiting the exhibit booths and taking part in the proceedings.

PIPE’s Mike Massey delivered a keynote address at the event. Taking note of the remarkable progress of the green movement, Massey stressed the opportunity for young people to take advantage of the Green Revolution in its early stages. Assessing the construction industry over the past two decades and examining the difference between the old ways and the new, Massey said,

“This time the adjustments aren’t just about changes in codes or materials. Green construction means a permanent change in thinking; there is a philosophical change driving these technologies. The message is that the changes aren’t going to stop but will continue as the philosophy matures. In other words, Green is now, and the future, but only the ‘now’ is knowable for certain.”

Massey stressed that the work of the piping industry always left an indelible footprint upon the air, water and land, and that the industry of the future would have to work as hard to reduce that footprint as it did at its original calling. During the conference, PIPE staffers made showed a video presentation and offered materials to recruit students into its various apprenticeship programs.

The audience was very pleasantly surprised when author Gore Vidal made an unscheduled but very welcome appearance; the venerable writer and social commentator spoke for half an hour about the effect of contemporary politics on the local Green movement and departed to warm applause.

Michael McGrorty
PIPEGreen editor

Los Angeles takes the LEED

The Los Angeles Times reports:

L.A. panel approves ambitious green building plan

November 16, 2007

The Los Angeles Planning Commission on Thursday approved one of the most ambitious green building programs of any big city in the nation, requiring large new developments to be 15% more energy efficient. The new rules, which also restrict water use, aim to cut the city's emissions of greenhouse gases.Cities have no power over vehicle tailpipe emissions, which are ultimately controlled by the federal government. And power plants, another major source of greenhouse gases, are mostly regulated by state government, except in the case of cities that own utilities, such as Los Angeles.

Under the L.A. rules, new buildings with more than 50 units or 50,000 square feet of floor area would be required to meet national standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that is working with cities across the country. The measure is expected to come before the City Council early next year.The standards -- known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED -- would reduce the amount of energy used in large developments to well below what is required by California's building code, the strictest in the nation.

In addition to setting new rules for big developments, the city will establish a "green team" of experts from various departments -- including Planning, Building and Safety, and Water and Power -- to improve the environmental impact of the basic code for all buildings, including single-family homes and small commercial developments. The first recommended measures include wiring buildings for solar-energy systems, using high-efficiency heating and air conditioning units, and installing toilets and shower heads that use less water. In addition, half of demolition and construction waste would have to be recycled, and low-irrigation landscaping would be mandated for lots greater than 1,000 square feet.

The U.S. Green Building Council has a tiered system of measures: the basic LEED certification, which Los Angeles is planning to adopt for large buildings, and LEED silver, gold and platinum. For developers willing to submit their projects to the council for silver certification, the commission Thursday approved a measure to expedite permits that could save builders from two months to a year.

Michael McGrorty
PIPEGreen editor

LEED Certification and Jobs

Is LEED certification important? An online search of job openings at monster.com revealed over 350 positions which required or preferred candidates with LEED professional certification. These were jobs in engineering, design, and construction management at all levels. If you are interested in being part of the employed Green future, find out about LEED certification at www.usgbc.org.

Michael McGrorty
PIPEGreen editor

Construction Materials Recycling Notes

Construction Materials: Recycling and Reuse

Synopsis

One of the commonest problems encountered in refurbishing or tenant-improvement construction is what to do with worn-out fixtures, equipment and materials that have been removed to make way for new installations. Of course, in all areas of construction, owners face the problem of how to build modern structures at the lowest possible cost. A solution to these problems lies in recycling materials and fixtures. The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® program provides certification credits for the recycling and reuse of these materials, as do many local and state programs. The question for builders is where to obtain recycled items and how to keep old materials from the waste stream.

Discussion

Increasingly, contract awarding agencies and private construction firms have begun to encourage and in many cases require that builders conserve materials and reduce waste in the construction or alteration of structures and landscapes. This is a radical departure from the old-time response, wherein everything removed and all the excess material was simply hauled to the dump. Tipping fees are high, some materials cannot be accepted at available landfills, and the cost of transport continues to rise. All these considerations push the builder toward salvage.

There are many strong arguments for salvaging construction material. The problem is that much or most of that material may not be suitable for use on the current project. When this is the case, the builder is back at square one in trying to find a home for the old fixtures. Likewise, when a contractor wants refurbished materials, there is the problem of finding sources.

Solutions

Disposal

Let’s say that you are renovating a multi-story office building and you’ve got five floors worth of light fixtures, toilets, sinks, mirrors and wiring, plus junction boxes, wooden banisters, and even a few dozen CO2 fire extinguishers. The nearest dump site is miles away and they don’t take half the stuff you’ve got on the truck.

One solution: go to the phone directory or internet and look under ‘Construction Recycling.’ If you don’t find anything there, find a local Salvation Army outlet or Goodwill store. Ask the manager if he can use at least part of what you’ve got to offer. A very good place to go is Habitat for Humanity; many of their offices maintain materials recycling and will be happy to accept or even to pick up your discarded fixtures. The bonus in using charitable organizations is that you will receive a receipt for the value of the donation that can reduce your taxes.

Before you begin work or even prior to bidding, find out what local restrictions or requirements surround the disposal of the kind of material you’re going to have on hand as the job progresses. Ask the town or county where you can take the materials. Many times the town’s civil engineer or public works department will have information.

Reuse

Anybody who has priced used brick knows how much value the public puts on material with a bit of heritage attached. These days, old is good, as long as it functions. The good news is that a lot of the old stuff functions just fine. But it isn’t just antique lamps or doorknobs that get used. Restrictions on dumping and increased costs have made it more profitable in many cases to put unused or removed materials back on the market for sale.

Examples of this are easily found in any category. Online auctions such as Ebay and Craigslist contain ads for everything from drywall to gravel, often including delivery. Used appliance outlets offer functioning fixtures for a fraction of new prices. As mentioned earlier, Habitat for Humanity maintains local outlets specializing in recycling construction materials.

Sometimes recycling requires a bit of imagination. You can call around to local hardware stores, offering to take unused lots of paint or a dented appliances. Your local big-box home emporium will have scratch-and-dent washers and sinks. Start a network of others in your business; post an online noteboard and see what others need or have to offer. Got a hundred old toilets that aren’t in compliance with low-flush standards? They may not be acceptable at the dump, but you can take them to a stone vendor who will crush them into usable gravel.

Recycling

Remember when nobody recycled aluminum cans? Nowadays most scrap metal from construction sites is recycled, and for good reason: it makes money. You may know this if you’ve ever had one of your jobs ripped off for copper, aluminum, brass or even ferrous metals. It may be worth it to pay an employee to strip wire, salvage pipe or even the cardboard from fixture shipping containers; keep records of what you recycle and watch the dollars roll in.

LEED

Finally, whether you’re working on a LEED® certified project or not, you should be aware that recycling materials is a recognized way to earn LEED qualifying points—and that LEED’s standards are rapidly being adopted by public agencies across the nation. LEED maintains guidelines for Construction Waste Management and Material Reuse; as little as 5% use of salvaged, refurbished or reused materials will result in credit toward various levels of certification. See www.usgbc.org for further information.

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Useful links:

Habitat for Humanity materials recycling stores: www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore.aspx

Salvation Army donations: Call 1-800-SA-TRUCK

California Construction/Demolition Debris Recycling: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/ConDemo/

City of Torrance Building Materials Recycling: http://www.ci.torrance.ca.us/8614.htm

M. McGrorty
PIPEGreen editor

Saving Trees, Having Fun

And now, a short lesson in Green reuse and recycling:

The editor of this weblog restores old furniture, giving old and broken items a new life. One of those items was this chair, purchased from a thrift store, which was intended to be assembled from a kit. The first owner attempted assembly but forced the arm, which cracked it. The legs were also out of balance. The wood is alder, which has a tendency to crack anyhow. I glued and clamped the arm to the chair, then finished it with Minwax Sedona Red stain, followed by two coats of polycrylic finish. And there you have it: a broken chair, bought for a few bucks, transformed into a usable chair for my computer room. No additional trees harvested, and plenty of fun in the process.

Earlier this year I refinished an salvaged dining room table. Really good wooden furniture is scarce--it pays to maintain what we've got. After all, that's what conservation means.

Michael McGrorty

Editor, PIPEGreen Blog

NBC News to seek LEED Silver at New HQ

NBC has announced that it plans to build a state-of-the-art Green facility to house its West Coast News Headquarters. The project will be the new home of NBC News in Los Angeles, as well as of local stations KNBC, KVEA and the show “Access Hollywood.” The project will seek LEED Silver certification, and is on track to be completed by 2011. NBC has also announced that it will seek to obtain LEED certification for its ongoing operations.

“The West Coast News Headquarters is an incredibly exciting project on the horizon that will set a new standard for newsgathering and environmental design,” said NBC News President Steve Capus. The new facility will be the anchor tenant at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Red Line Subway Station in Universal City, directly across the street from Universal Studios and Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and CityWalk. It is part of a proposed development by Thomas Properties Group.

Additional information is available at: http://www.ucvision.com/

Federal Green Guidelines Online

The National Institute of Building Sciences has produced a helpful online guide to assist federal building project managers in meeting various mandates as established by federal law, Executive Order or EPA recommendation.

The Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers provides a comprehensive aid for procuring Green building products and construction services within the federal government.

What this means to you:

The Guide provides listings of the sort of requirements a bidding contractor may expect to find in current and future bid documents where the project is wholly or partly backed by federal money.

The list may be viewed or downloaded at the NIBS site, either complete or in parts according to the type of work to be performed. For example, a click on “22 40 00 (15400) Plumbing Fixtures” reveals the requirements a bidding plumbing subcontractor may expect to encounter, as well as a materials call-out. For example:

2.1 MATERIALS
Fixtures:
Water management: Provide low flow fixtures and automatic, sensor operated faucets and flush valves. Provide automatic, sensor operated faucets and flush valves to comply with ASSE 1037 and UL1951.
Faucets and aerators: Maximum 2.0 gal/min when measured at a flowing water pressure of 60 pounds per square inch.
Water closets: Maximum 1.6 gallons. [Gravity tank type water closets not allowed.]
Urinals: [Maximum 1.0 gallons/flush.] [Waterless operation; provide with urine trap and 100 percent biodegradable sealant liquid as approved by manufacturer.]
Showerheads: 2.2 gal/min when measured at a flowing water pressure of 80 pounds per square inch.
Toxicity/IEQ:
Traps: Provide traps with removable access panels for easy clean-out at sinks and lavatories.
Water filter systems: Provide filters for chlorine at sinks, lavatories, and showerheads.

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The Guide, explanatory text and references are available at: http://www.wbdg.org/design/greenspec.php.

California: Three Green Vetoes

Analysis: 2007 California Vetoes

In October of 2007 California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a package of three measures, Assembly Bills 35, 888 and 1058, which would have required state-owned, commercial and residential buildings to adopt Green practices in design and construction. AB 35 dealt with construction or renovation of State buildings; AB 888 with non-residential commercial buildings, and AB 1058 with residential buildings.

The bills were passed by the California legislature earlier in the year. The importance of these bills goes beyond their immediate success or failure as legislation. Significant points:

1. These bills represent the strength of intent among legislators and the public for the adoption of Green building standards.

2. The bills show that the standards for Green construction have been well established and are accepted to the same degree as public construction codes.

3. The specific language of two of the bills makes reference to USGB’s LEED standards: AB 888 would have required CAL EPA to adopt standards which would meet the USGBC’s Gold rating for commercial buildings of 50,000 square feet or more; AB 35 called for adoption of the USGB’s Silver rating for construction for any building leased or owned by the state.

Texts of Legislation:

Assembly Bill 888: http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_0851-0900/ab_888_bill_20070411_amended_asm_v97.pdf

Assembly Bill 35: http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_35_bill_20070601_amended_asm_v97.pdf

Assembly Bill 1058: http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_1051-1100/ab_1058_bill_20070907_amended_sen_v94.pdf

Schwarzenegger’s veto message noted that the measures would be costly and would unnecessarily write building standards into law instead of leaving the task to the California Building Standards Commission; the Governor also noted that the bills did not take into account the State’s earthquake and fire risks. The Governor’s veto is consistent with his previous veto of AB 1337 (the ‘Green Building Act of 2006’); that bill would have required the Integrated Waste Management Board to adopt Green standards for state buildings; this earlier veto statement also mentioned the Governor’s preference for the Building Standards Commission process.

The veto of these measures is less significant than their success in the legislature and especially, the consistent use of LEED building standards in AB 888 and 35 as a basis for determining Green qualifications.

What this means in the long run:

More than likely a return to the legislature of similar legislation, most likely with the LEED standards maintained, unless similar language or references can be drawn up and passed through the Building Standards Commission’s mechanism, a thing the governor requires as the price of his signature.

For a formal statement of the administration’s position on this matter, see the Memorandum of David Walls, at http://www.bsc.ca.gov/documents/Green%20Build.%20Web%20Info.pdf

Michael McGrorty

California Green Building Update: AB 1460

On October 18th 2007 California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Assembly Bill 1460, which will provide additional incentives for builders who use sustainable methods in construction funded under the state’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP).

[To date the MHP has received $800 million in funding through Proposition 46 and $590 million through Proposition 1C.]

Previously existing law established the Department of Community Housing and a set of rules, including a point system, for prioritizing certain types of development, construction and rehabilitation, especially those in proximity to public transit, public schools, parks or job centers.

The new law amends the old legislation to include among projects receiving priority points those using “Sustainable building methods established in accordance with the criteria listed under paragraph (8) of subdivision (c) of Section 10325 of Title 4 of the California Code of Regulations.”

The cited building methods are not especially complex. With regard to the pipe trades, they include, “Use of natural gas for space heating,” and “Use of either . . . flow restrictors on kitchen (2gpm) and bathroom faucets (1.5gpm) or dual flush toilets.”

For additional information, see

California Department of Housing and Community Development, Multifamily Housing Program, at http://www.hcd.ca.gov/fa/mhp/

and

California Code of Regulations, Title 4, Section 17, at http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/CTCAC/programreg/100504_adopted.pdf

Michael McGrorty

Success Equals Green Opportunity

A Lesson in Politics

In 2001, voters in the Los Angeles Community College District were faced with the following question in the election held that April:

Shall the Los Angeles Community College District increase educational opportunities, raise student achievement and improve health and safety conditions for students at Los Angeles City College, East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles Mission College, Los Angeles Pierce College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College, Los Angeles Valley College and West Los Angeles College, replace/repair deteriorating buildings, construct/furnish/equip classrooms, laboratories, libraries and related facilities; repair/upgrade electrical wiring for computer technology, heating, air conditioning and plumbing; complete earthquake retrofitting; improve campus safety, fire security, parking and lighting; and improve/acquire real property to relieve overcrowding by issuing, at interest rates within legal limits, $1,245 billion in bonds with citizens' oversight for each college and annual independent performance/financial audits, but with no money for administrators' or others' salaries?

--The answer from the voters was a resounding ‘Yes.’

In May of 2003 the District’s voters were again asked,

To prepare students for jobs and four-year colleges, train nurses, police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, improve health, safety, security conditions at Pierce College, Valley College, East Los Angeles College, Harbor College, Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Mission College, West Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College; construct computer technology centers to train students for high-tech jobs; repair deteriorating classrooms, science laboratories, libraries; expand educational centers in underserved communities; upgrade heating, plumbing, wiring, roofs, sewers, energy efficiency, water conservation; improve campus environmental standards, safety, lighting, fire alarms, sprinklers, intercoms, fire doors; and acquire/improve real property and/or build new classrooms to relieve overcrowding, shall the Los Angeles Community College District issue $980 million dollars in bonds at interest rates within legal limits, require citizens' oversight for each college, annual independent financial audits, with no money for administrators' salaries?

--Voters approved this measure as well.

Taken together, the Proposition A/AA funding amounts to over two billion dollars in available construction funding. Being publicly-funded, these building projects were of course covered by state prevailing wage standards, whose rates are very close to, if not precisely matched by the union rates in the same area; in this case, Los Angeles County. In addition, the Proposition A/AA projects are covered by a local Project Labor Agreement, which provides much greater opportunity for successful bidding among signatory contractors in all the pipe trades. The District’s PLA, combined with its labor compliance effort and pre-bid scrutiny insure that reputable and responsible bidders will be awarded work; in other words, on a level playing field ideal for sub-bidding by union firms.

Within the requirements specified for these projects is the District’s own callout for Green construction: As directed by the District’s Board of Trustees, all new buildings that are at least half funded with Proposition A/AA bond monies will be Green buildings, built to LEED certification standards.

This language is a prime example of how local awarding agencies are creating Green standards for themselves, and a sign that Green building, especially on the LEED model, is fast becoming the norm rather than the exception in public works construction.

Effort equals Opportunity

The LACCD Proposition A/AA situation should be seen as the end result of a effort which began long before the election date, through which signatory contractors’ and labor organizations’ work was repaid with substantial opportunity. For many years the organized pipe trades had been asking for the chance to have public works bid specifications written in such a way as to make it possible for honest contractors to obtain work. That request has been answered with programs like those arising from Proposition A/AA. All that is required now is that contractors comply with the Green requirements of the agency, which are fairly laid out in advance and no more complex than those found in the ordinary run of work. Taken together, the PLA/Green combination is a chance to maintain a firm hold on profitable work and to exercise skills and experience that will be required to obtain work in the future.

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Caltrans District 7

Example Project: Caltrans District 7

In 2004 the State of California took possession of a new Headquarters building for Caltrans District 7. The building also houses the offices of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. The 13-story structure was a design-build project with over 750,000 feet of office space and parking for more than a thousand cars. The building contains 52 bathrooms with 450 sinks and 700 toilets. Total value of the work was $165 million.

Regulatory Background

The District 7 project was subject to a number of environmental/conservation requirements in addition to those of local building codes and the design specification. This situation is becoming very common in large scale construction, particularly under public works contracts. The applicable specifications required compliance with:

1. California’s Excellence in Public Buildings Program (EIPB)

2. Governor’s Executive Order S-20-04

3. U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver objective

It should be noted that these requirements are not compounding or competitive but mutually reinforcing—many of them being call-outs or references to the others. For example, California’s Excellence in Public Buildings Program (EIPB) incorporates the LEED rating system and other similar initiatives, and any State of California building project is required to conform to EO S-20-04, which in turn refers explicitly to LEED certifications. This being the case, the simplest path to follow is to conform to LEED’s current standard.

An examination of the project from the standpoint of a bidding contractor reveals nothing in the way of end-use plumbing significantly different from non-green installations. The mechanical contractor installed the following fixtures and appliances in the Caltrans building:

Dexter urinals type K-5016-ET, Kohler Kingston toilet bowls type K4330; Kohler Caxton sinks type K2210. Faucets are Zurn Aquasense “A” battery-powered. Showerheads are Delta Cambridge pressure-balancing 11T5-333.

In most green projects, and especially those undertaken under LEED guidance and review, the project manager or prime contractor will assume responsibility for compliance with the documentation requirements under LEED or similar standards. What this means is that the satisfaction of these requirements is no more complex or daunting than the ordinary run of documentation; the installing contractor merely follows the customary path of obtaining specified hardware, then installs according to code and accepted practice, maintaining ordinary documentation of these milestones along the way.

In terms of operation, LEED requirements may be considered a completion requirement for the subcontractor and a documentation requirement for the prime or construction manager. For that matter, most of what constitutes LEED requirements occurs in the design phase—in the choice of spec and material. At the installation end, very little is different than in non-green construction.

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Building Green Introduction

Building Green

What is a green building? It might be better to ask what it is not. All of us, contractors and workers alike, have been constructing non-green buildings for over a century. Until recently that meant installing, maintaining and repairing systems whose only object was to meet a specification and satisfy a customer. In other words, to bring water, heat, and take away waste in the most efficient, safe, and economical manner. Doing this was, and remains, our business. It is why we exist.

The green building concept has largely developed over the past decade. Fundamentally it means the practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings and their use of energy, water and materials, while reducing impacts on the environment. This is done through a conscious effort over the entire building cycle, from design through construction, operation, maintenance and even demolition or removal.

The difference between these two approaches and their methods is actually quite small. For professionals in the field it is merely another series of options—familiar choices about materials, installation and tools. On the other hand, because of the increasing popularity of green building, and the rising number of projects whose specifications include green building provisions, thinking, bidding and working green is becoming profitable; in the future it is likely to become the only reliably profitable mode of operation in a large part of the construction industry. Today green building practices are encouraged and sometimes required: in the future they will increasingly become mandated as part of industry codes and specifications.

Of course, every segment of our industry is already acquainted with conservation of energy and material; after all, that’s what plumbing, piping, heating and cooling are all about. Building green is simply another expression of the same effort and work.

New Practices for New Goals

Green building standards are rapidly being adopted in both the public and private sectors, for work as varied as a simple faucet replacement to the design and construction of major facilities. Most contractors are familiar with these standards as elements within a larger set of specifications; for instance, as a local requirement for the use of graywater in the irrigation system of a public park. It is becoming increasingly common for customers and awarding agencies to establish or to refer to standards which are comprehensive in scale—ranging from particular origins and composition of construction materials to the type and use of tools and methods of installation, all the way through to the elements of the final punch list, and occasionally beyond. One significant difference is that the green building is perceived as a set of ongoing functions rather than a temporary challenge of construction to be accomplished and left for another job. These functions often begin before the traditional scope of construction work and end beyond it, too.

Standards and Guidelines

The established standards for Green construction are mainly found in the following places:

As elements of previously-existing codes
As adoptions of local ordinance
As requirements of a certifying agency

Many elements of what can be considered Green construction are already present in the common codes of the plumbing/heating/HVAC industry. Others are the result of local or regional adoption or political action, perhaps by a city council or county utility. The most complex and far-reaching requirements are those put together by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) through its rating system, known as LEED, for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

LEED

The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. The LEED system provides:

A process of project registration
A system of guidelines
A rating system for project elements

Essentially, LEED is a third-party standard which functions very much like traditional code requirements, with the exception of the initial project registration and that the LEED certification is based upon cumulative credits for meeting various listed criteria, rather than a go/no-go standard as is common in industry building codes.

Typical language from California Plumbing Code:

“All drip irrigation supply lines shall be polyethylene tubing or PVC class 200 pipe or better and Schedule 40 fittings.”

Typical LEED standard:

“Water Efficiency: Reduce by 50%, 1 Point. Requirements: Reduce potable water consumption for irrigation by 50% from a calculated mid-summer baseline case.”

The difference is that the CPC standard calls out only the material type for irrigation, while the LEED standard requires a measured reduction in final environmental effect. The credit for this achievement is added to a final score which will determine the classification of the project on the LEED scale, from a basic Certification through Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. As its publications state,

“LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.”

One of the benefits of Green building on the LEED model is that the final product acts as an advertisement for the contractor’s effort, essentially broadcasting that the firms involved have passed a progressive standard and are ready to do more of the same work for new customers.

In the next section we will examine a series of construction projects to determine how Green building works in operation, what the ground-level situation looks like, and the differences and challenges of this new type of work.

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