BY DIANE CHOATE - Corporate communications specialist, Mapei
In 1998 the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) began developing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System to measure the sustainability and environmental impact of new construction and existing buildings. LEED certification is an added advantage building owners can offer to potential building occupants. According to a recent American Institute of Architects study, 14% of U.S. cities with populations of more than 50,000 have green building programs with many more about to follow suit.

LEED categories

Building projects earn one or more points toward LEED certification by meeting or exceeding credit requirements in each of six categories (see 'Getting down to the basics of LEED' article).

Points are awarded based on the overall contribution of the various materials used within a credit grouping. LEED certification applies only to building projects, not products or services. The use of LEED-compliant flooring installation products can contribute toward LEED certification in four areas:

1. Materials and Resources: MR Credit 4.1 and 4.2: Recycled Content Builders can contribute 1 LEED point to a building’s rating if the building products used contain 10% recycled content (MR Credit 4.1). An additional point is added to the rating if the recycled content amounts to 20% (MR Credit 4.2).

2. Materials & Resources: MR Credit 5.1 and 5.2: Regional Materials Another area where builders can contribute one point toward LEED certification involves the use of regional materials manufactured within 500 miles of the project jobsite. According to the LEED manual, this standard supports “the use of indigenous resources and [reduces] the environmental impacts resulting from transportation.”

3. Environmental Quality: EQ Credit 4.1: Low-Emitting Materials: Adhesives & Sealants If all the adhesives and sealants used in a project meet the VOC limits as specified by South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule #1168, the builder can qualify for 1 LEED point.

4. Environmental Quality: EQ Credit 3.2: Construction of an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management Plan: Before Occupancy [Particulates] To gain 1 LEED point in this category, the builder must develop an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management Plan and implement it during the pre-occupancy phase of construction, then conduct baseline IAQ testing that demonstrates maximum concentrations of contaminants in line with EPA standards, including 50 micrograms per cubic meter of particulates (dust).