Date: March 1, 2017
News - Green Building Scores Big in Mid-Atlantic
Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. were listed in the Top 10 States for LEED building projects by the U.S. Green Building Council which is music to our ears as no other building material contributes more points towards this certification than concrete.
This ranking is now in its 7th year and ranks the states that have made significant strides in the total square feet of LEED-certified space per resident based on U.S. Census data. The total amount of commercial and institutional green building projects for 2016 is 309.12 million square feet.
Maryland and Virginia continue to be on the list year after year, affirming the mid-Atlantic region, including Washington D.C. is the center of green building. Although D.C. is not an official state, it is included in the study and noted for have 29.04 sq ft of LEED space per resident or more than any other state.
A LEED project can earn up to 68 out of 110 points by choosing various concrete solutions and will set the project at the GOLD certification level.
Not only are you getting a strong and durable product, concrete is also green because:
- Recyclable: Concrete can be recycled when it is finished with its long service life.
- Less CO2: Concrete’s many benefits result in carbon savings that dwarf the initial carbon output of the project.
- Brighter: Concrete’s bright surface decreases lighting usage by 30% and cuts down on the heat island effect.
- Recycled Content: Concrete can contain recycled content as fly ash or slag.
- Thermal mass: This property of concrete allows a delay and reduction of heat transfer of a building therefore reducing heating and cooling use.
- Pervious concrete: Eliminate stormwater run-off with this product.
- Local materials: Concrete can only travel short distances so the fuel and energy needed for transportation is kept at a minimum.
For more information on this study, read the full article from the U.S. Green Building Council.