Sustainable Building Technical Manual - Etn-presco.net

CHAPTER 16Ma t e r i a l sIntroductionNational and international standards organizations are currently developing life-cycleassessment standards for building products and materials. For example, life-cycle assessmentstandards being developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials’(ASTM’s) Subcommittee E-50.06 will provide the basis for obtaining environmental informationfrom product manufacturers in terms that are equivalent or comparative. Thesestandards should make a comparative product life-cycle analysis easier and less costly forthe design team. (See Chapter 25, “The Future of Green Building,” for a listing of the variouslife-cycle standards under review and development.)AuthorDavid RousseauThis chapter focuses on two elements of environmental life-cycle assessment for materials:1) minimizing natural resource use, and 2) creating a healthy, comfortable, nonhazardousspace for building occupants. (Other life-cycle criteria for materials selection mentioned inthe Section C introduction are not included in this chapter.) Additional materials-selectioncriteria, such as code approvals, performance, aesthetics, cost, and availability, are alreadywell established in traditional practice and are not emphasized here.The information presented here is not meant to be conclusive or definitive. It is providedas an introduction and general guidance regarding resource efficiency and material-relatedhealth issues. The reader is encouraged to continue learning about these and other lifecycleassessment issues that impact building material options through references listed in“Resources” at the end of this chapter. (Also refer to Chapter 2, “Selecting Environmentallyand Economically Balanced Building Materials,” and Part IV, Section C introduction,“Life-Cycle Assessment and its Application to Green Building Principles”.)