BUILDING MATERIAL SELECTION

Revision Date: 8/01

Process Code: Navy/Marines: N/A; Air Force: FA04; Army: OTG
Usage: Navy: Medium; Marines: Medium; Army: Medium; Air
Force: Medium
Compliance Impact: High
Alternative for: Using resource-intensive or polluting materials, landfilling
construction wastes.
Applicable EPCRA Targeted Constituents: Various

Overview: The selection of building materials greatly impacts the sustainability of a project. By choosing building
materials wisely, considering the complete life cycle of the materials, a designer and/or builder can reduce the
impact of the project on the environment. Careful material selection can minimize the depletion of resources,
including raw materials, such as wood and metals, as well as energy and water used in the manufacturing
process.

Careful consideration of building materials also can allow for efficient reuse or recycling of materials and
building components if a building or facility is to be deconstructed or demolished. Finally, building materials
choices may alleviate environmental impacts created by the manufacturing process, as well as indoor air
quality in the final structure.

Analyzing the environmental impacts of building materials can be a difficult process. A life cycle analysis,
which accounts for the impacts of resource extraction through manufacturing, use, and disposal, involves
extensive data collection and analysis. Some of this analysis has already been conducted and results are
available through various lists and databases of environmentally preferable building products.

Generally, the following considerations are key to efforts to promote sustainable design through building
material selection. No single material will exhibit all of these characteristics, but planners can strive to choose
materials that incorporate as many as possible. Whenever possible, material should:

Not affect indoor air quality adversely;

Incorporate recycled content (post-consumer and post-industrial);
Be made using natural and/or renewable resources;
Be durable, and have low maintenance requirements;
Have low "embodied energy" (the energy required to produce and transport materials);
Not contain CFCs, HCFCs or other ozone depleting substances;
Not contain highly toxic compounds;
Employ "Sustainable Harvesting" practices, for wood products;
Be procured from local resources and manufacturers;
Be reused easily (either whole or through disassembly);
Be recycled readily (preferably in a closed-loop recycling system); or
Be biodegradable.

Source: Navy WBDG "Green Products" Resource Page

These basic considerations can guide building materials selection. Additional considerations are plastics,
metals, asphalt, concrete, wood, plasterboard, geotextiles, and many other building materials. Numerous
guides and checklists are available that provide more details.

Among the guides available to help identify environmentally preferable building materials are the following:

Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES)

U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology
www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp/bees.htm

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Tools

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.gov/opptntr/epp/resources.html

EPA "Lists of Manufacturers and Suppliers" of Recycled Content Products

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.gov/cpg/products

/
 GreenSpec Product Directory and Guideline Specifications Binder
Environmental Building Needs
www.buildinggreen.com/orders/gs_info.html

Guide to Resource Efficient Building Elements (6th Edition, 1997)

Center for Resourceful Building Technology
http://www.crbt.org/

The Harris Directory of Pollution Prevention Products for Home, Office and Garden
http://www.harrisdirectory.com/

LEED Green Building Rating System 2.0

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Green Building Rating System Criteria
U.S. Green Building Council, April 2000
www.usgbc.org/programs/leed.htm

Recycling Plus Program Manual

Clean Washington Center
www.pnl.gov/esp/greenguide/cscport.pdf

REDI Guide to Building Materials

http://oikos.com/products/

Sustainable Building Technical Manual

Public Technology, Inc., and
The U.S. Green Building Council
www.sustainable.doe.gov/pdf/sbt.pdf

Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design, and

The Sustainable Design and Construction Database
National Park Service, 1996
www.nps.gov/dsc/dsgncnstr/gpsd/

Sustainable Sources
http://www.greenbuilder.com/

Compliance Benefit: Thoughtful selection of building materials will help facilities meet the requirements under Executive Order
13101, requiring executive agencies (e.g., DOD) to incorporate waste prevention and recycling in their daily
operations, and to consider the following factors in developing plans, drawings, work statements,
specifications, or other product descriptions: elimination of virgin material requirements; use of recovered
materials; reuse of product; life-cycle cost; recyclability; use of environmentally preferable products; waste
prevention (including toxicity reduction or elimination and ultimate disposal, as appropriate.

Selecting appropriate building materials also helps facilities comply with Executive Order 13123 "Greening
the Government Through Energy Efficiency Management" which was issued in 1999 and states that all
Federal Agencies are to take specific actions to improve energy management to save taxpayers' money and
reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution and global climate change.

Implementing sustainable development strategies, such as careful building materials selection, also will help
facilities meet requirements under the Department of the Army Technical Letter No. 1110-3-491,
"Sustainable Design for Military Facilities", released on May 1, 2001. This letter provides basic criteria for
incorporating sustainable design concepts in the design and construction of Military facilities.

The compliance benefits listed here are only meant to be used as a general guideline and are meant to be
strictly interpreted. Actual compliance benefits will very depending on the factors involved, e.g. the amount of
workload involved.

Materials
Compatibility: No materials compatibility issues were identified.

Safety and Health: No major safety or health issued are associated with selecting environmentally preferable building materials
were identified. Consult your local industrial health specialist, your local health and safety personnel, and the
appropriate MSDS prior to implementing this technology.

Benefits: Saves landfill space. /

 Conserves resources.
Can reduce construction and materials costs;
Can reduce disposal costs if a structure is demolished or deconstructed;
Can reduce material replacement costs;
Can reduce maintenance costs;
Enhances indoor air quality.

Disadvantages: Determining a product's environmental preferability can be a complex process for which no tools exist;
Environmentally preferable materials may be more expensive or difficult to locate.

Economic Analysis: The costs incurred will vary depending upon the materials being used, the quantities used, and products
being replaced. Economic data are specific to each application, and comparisons among other systems
would not be applicable. The principle costs that need to be considered are:

Capital cost of alternative products compared to traditional products.

Quantities necessary to perform similarly to traditional products.
Any changes in labor or other supplies necessary to work with the alternative products.
Any additional personal protective equipment (PPE) which might be necessary when using traditional
products.
Any special handling or storage considerations for the products in question.
Costs avoided by reusing or recycling building materials if structure is dismantled.

When looking at recycled-content markets, the following material categories have been identified and studied
to determine their relative cost compared to comparable virgin products.

Recycled-Content Recycled-Content Products Recycled-Content

Products and Materials and Materials Typically Costing
Typically Costing Less Approximately the Same as
Than Virgin Products Virgin Products
Compost
Sub-base Materials,
such as Crushed
Concrete, Crushed
Brick, Foundry Sand,
Mixed Glass Cullet,
Recycled Asphalt
Recycled Tire
Retaining Walls
Asphalt with Glass
Fly Ash Concrete
Cast in Place
Concrete Specialties
Structural Steel
Fiber Boards
Wood/Plastic
Composite Lumber
Underlayment Board
Plastic Lockers
Refurbished Carpet
Tiles
Products and Materials
Typically Costing More
Than Virgin Products
Compost Benches and Tables
Parking Blocks Insulating Concrete
Drainage Tile Forms
Concrete and Brick Pavers Wood Fiber Concrete
Construction Fencing Forms
Road Barricades Recycled Timber
Benches and Tables Glue Laminated
Hydroseed Beams
Insulating Concrete Forms Recycled Wood
Reinforcing Steel Flooring and Paneling
Reinforcing Steel Supports "West Spray" Cell
Anchor Bolts Insulation
Expansion Joint Filler Cotton Insulation
Cast in Place Concrete Wood Windows
Specialties Solid Wood Doors
Wood Fiber Concrete Carpet
Forms Vinyl Tile
Structural Steel Extra Strong Gypsum
Steel Studs, Roofing, Board
Siding, and Panels Bathroom Partitions
Steel Bolts and Rods
Re-bar
Glue Laminated Beams
Wood/Plastic Composite
Lumber
Particle Board
Underlayment Board
Plastic Lumber
Plastic Fencing
Counter Tops
/
 Insulation - Cellulose,
"West Spray: Cellulose,
Fiberglass, Rigid, Cotton,
Acoustic
Asphalt Shingles
Windows and Doors
Recycled Paint
Carpet and Underlayment
Vinyl Tile
Gypsum Board
Acoustic Ceiling Tile
Ceiling Grid
Ceramic Tile
Rubber Tile
Bathroom Partitions
Glass Block
Cabinets

Source: JBA Architects

NSN/MSDS:
Product NSN Unit Size Cost MSDS*
Recycled plastic lumber, 5675-01-421-8054 2" x 4" x 12' $19.47
non-wood, dimensional, 5675-01-421-7270 2" x 6" x 12' $87.93
hollow
Recycled plastic lumber, 5675-01-421-0872 2" x 4" x 12' $50.82
non-wood, dimensional, 5675-01-421-0950 2" x 6" x 12' $43.91
solid

NOTE: Each type of lumber is available in numerous dimensions.

*There are multiple MSDSs for most NSNs.

The MSDS (if shown above) is only meant to serve as an example

Points of Contact: Air Force:

Mr. Jeff Merz
HQ ACC/CECE
129 Andrews Street, Suite 102
Langley AFB, VA 23665
Phone: (757) 764-3614
FAX: (757) 764-5339
Email:jeffrey.merz@landley.af.mil

Mr. Larry Dryden

HQ ACC/CECE
129 Andrews Street, Suite 102
Langley AFB, VA 23665
Phone: (757) 764-3614
FAX: (757) 764-5339
Email:larry.dryden@landley.af.mil

Ms. Karen Kevela

Environmental Quality Directorate
Air Force Center for Environmental
Excellence
3207 North Road
Brooks AFB, TX 78235-5363
Phone: (210) 536-4191
DSN: 240-4191
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 FAX: (210) 536-4254
Email: karen.kivela@brooks.af.mil

Civilian:
Mr. John Barrie
John Barrie Associates Architects
1050 Pinetree Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: (734) 668-4811
FAX: (734) 668-4033
Email: jsbarrie@hotmail.com

Vendors: For information about these potential vendors, please refer to the resources at the
beginning of this data sheet.

Sources: Environmental Building News - Building Green, Inc., 122 Bridge Street, Suite 30, Brattleboro, VT 05301
Whole Building Design Guide, www.wbdg.org
Residential Construction Waste Management: A Builder's Field Guide, National Association of Home Builders Research Center, 400 Prince
George's Boulevard, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774.
U.S. Air Force Environmentally Responsible Facilities Guide, June 1998, www.afcee.brooks.af.mil/green/facilitiesguide/facguide.asp
Ms. Karen Kivela, Environmental Quality Directorate, Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, January 2000.

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