LEED® Information for CastleLite Block Interlocking Concrete Pavers

The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) was developed by the USGBC (U. S. Green Building Council) and is a voluntary consensus based upon a national standard for developing high performance sustainable building sites. The LEED® provides a complete foundation for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals over six major categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Use Efficiency (for building), Energy and Atmospheric Pollutants, Materials and Resources, Indoor Air Quality and Innovative Ideas and Designs.

We congratulate you on your decision to include CastleLite Block Interlocking Concrete Pavers into your latest construction project. We feel that Interlocking Concrete Pavers are an excellent choice for the following reasons:

USGBC – LEED® Sustainable Sites

Storm Water Design Credits

Permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) is a type of pervious paving that can capture & store stormwater thereby reducing or eliminating stormwater runoff. The subterranean storage system, comprised of open graded aggregates, filters out suspended solids and promotes growth of microorganisms that break down pollutants. The design team has options on how to handle the harvested & treated stormwater. Some of the options are: A) Allow all water to infiltrate the sub-soils beneath the system and enter the ground water system 100% treated, B) Direct the water to storage systems for other uses on site, or C) Filter and cool the water through the system and control its release rate to the storm drain system.

USGBC LEED® SS Credit 6.1: Stormwater Design: Quantity Control

1 Point
Intent
Limit disruption of natural water hydrology by reducing impervious cover, increasing on-site infiltration, reducing or eliminating pollution from stormwater runoff and eliminating contaminants.

Requirements
CASE 1 – EXISTING IMPERVIOUSNESS IS LESS THATN OR EQUAL TO 50%
Implement a stormwater management plan that prevents the postdevelopment peak discharge rate and quantity from exceeding the predevelopment peak discharge rate and quantity for the one and two-year 24-hour design storms.

OR

Implement a stormwater management plan that protects receiving stream channels from excessive erosion by implementing a stream channel protection strategy and quantity control strategies.

OR

CASE 2 – EXISTING IMPERVIOUSNESS IS GREATER THAT 50%
Implement a stormwater management plan that results in a 25% decrease in the volume of stormwater runoff from the two-year 24-hour design storm.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Design the project site to maintain natural stormwater flows by promoting infiltration. Specify vegetated roofs, pervious paving and other measures to minimize impervious surfaces. Reuse stormwater volumes generated for non-potable uses such as landscape irrigation, toilet and urinal flushing and custodial uses.

USGBC LEED® SS Credit 6.1: Stormwater Design: Quality

Control
1 Point
Intent
Limit disruption and pollution of natural water flows by managing stormwater runoff.

Requirements
Implement a stormwater management plan that reduces impervious cover, promotes infiltration, and captures and treats the stormwater runoff from 90% of the average annual rainfall 1 using acceptable best management practices (BMPs).

BMPs used to treat runoff must be capable of removing 80% of the average annual post development total suspended solids (TSS) load based on existing monitoring reports. BMPs are considered to meet these criteria if (1) they are designed in accordance with standard and specifications from state or local program that has adopted these performance standards, or (2) there exists in-field performance monitoring data demonstrating compliance with the criteria. Data must conform to accepted protocol (e.g. Technology Acceptance Reciprocity Partnership [TARP], Washington State Department of Ecology) for BMP monitoring.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Use alternative surfaces (e.g. vegetated roofs, pervious pavement or grid pavers) and nonstructural techniques (e.g. rain gardens, vegetated swales, disconnected of imperviousness, rainwater recycling) to reduce imperviousness and promote infiltration thereby reducing pollutant loadings.

Use sustainable design strategies (e.g. Low Impact Development, Environmentally Sensitive Design) to design integrated natural and mechanical treatment systems such as constructed wetlands, vegetated filters and open channels to treat stormwater runoff.

1. In the United States, there are three distinct climates that influence the
nature and amount of rainfall occurring on an annual basis. Humid
watersheds are defined as those that receive at least 40 inches of rainfall
each year, Semi-arid watersheds receive between 20 and 40 inches of
rainfall per year, and Arid watershed receive less than 20 inches of rainfall
per year. For this credit 90% of the average annual rainfall is equivalent to
treating the runoff from:
(a) Humid Watersheds – 1 inch of waterfall
(b) Semi-arid Watersheds – 0.75 inches of rainfall; and
(c) Arid Watersheds – 0.5 inches of rainfall.

USGBC LEED® SS Credit 7.1: Heat Island Effect: Non-Roof

1 Point

Intent
Reduce heat island (thermal gradient differences between developed and  undeveloped areas) to minimize impact on microclimate and human and wildlife habitat.

Requirements
OPTION 1
Provide any combination of the following strategies for 50% of the site concrete  paver hardscape (including roads, sidewalks, courtyards and parking lots):

• Shade (within 5 years of occupancy)
• Paving materials with a Solar Reflectance Index (SRI)2 of at least 29
• Open grid pavement system (Turfstone)

OR

OPTION 2
Place a minimum of 50% of parking areas under cover (define as under ground, under deck, under roof, or under a building). Any roof used to shade or cover parking must have an SRI of at least 29.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Shade constructed surfaces on the site with landscape features and utilize high-reflectance materials for hardscape. Consider replacing constructed surfaces (i.e. roof, roads, sidewalks, etc.) with vegetated surfaces such as vegetated roofs and open grid paving (Turfstone) or specify high-albedo materials to reduce the heat absorption.
2 The Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) is a measure of the constructed surface’s ability to reflect solar heat, as shown by
a small temperature rise. It is defined so that a standard black (reflectance 0.05, emittance 0.90) is 0 and a standard
white (reflectance 0.80, emittance 0.90) is 100. To calculate the SRI for a given material, obtain the reflectance
value and emittance value for the material. SRI is calculated according to ASTM E 1980-01. Reflectance is
measured according to ASTM E 903, ASTM E 1918, or ASTM C 1549. Emittance is measured according to ASTM E
408 or ASTM C 1371. Default values for some materials will be available in the LEED-NC v2.2 Reference Guide.

USGBC LEED® MR Credit 2.1: Construct Waste Management: Divert 50% From

Disposal
1 Point

Intent
Divert construction, demolition and land-clearing debris from disposal in landfills and incinerators. Redirect recyclable recovered resources back to the manufacturing process. Redirect reusable materials to appropriate sites

Requirements
Recycle and/or salvage at least 50% of non-hazardous construction and demolition debris. Develop and implement a construction waste management plan that, at a minimum, identifies the materials to be diverted from disposal and whether the materials will be sorted on-site or commingled. Excavated soil and land-clearing debris do not contribute to this credit. Calculations can be done by weight or volume, but must be consistent throughout.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Establish goals for diversion from disposal in landfills and incinerators and adopt a construction waste management plan to achieve these goals. Consider recycling cardboard, metal, brick, acoustical tile, concrete, concrete pavers, retaining wall block, plastic, clean  wood, glass, gypsum wallboard, carpet and insulation. Designated a specific area(s) on the construction site for segregated or  commingled collection of recyclable materials, and track recycling efforts throughout the construction process. Identify construction  haulers and recyclers to handle the designated materials. Note that diversion may include donation of materials to charitable organizations and salvage of materials on-site.

USGBC LEED® MR Credit 2.2: Construct Waste Management: Divert 75% From

Disposal

1 Point in addition to MR Credit 2.1

Intent
Divert construction, demolition debris from disposal in landfills and incinerators. Redirect recyclable recovered resources back to the  manufacturing process. Redirect reusable materials to appropriate sites.

Requirements
Recycle and/or salvage an additional 25% beyond MR Credit 2.1 (75% total) of non-hazardous construction and demolition debris. Excavated soil and land-clearing debris do not contribute to this credit. Calculations can be done by weight or volume, but must be consistent throughout.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Establish goals for diversion from disposal in landfills and incinerators and adopt a construction waste management plan to achieve these goals. Consider recycling cardboard, metal, brick, acoustical tile, concrete, plastic, clean wood, glass, gypsum wallboard, carpet and insulation. Designated a specific area(s) on the construction site for segregated or commingled collection of recyclable materials, and track recycling efforts throughout the construction process. Identify construction haulers and recyclers to handle the designated materials. Note that diversion may include donation of materials to charitable organizations and salvage of materials on-site.

USGBC LEED® MR Credit 3.1: Materials Reuse: 5%

1 Point

Intent
Reuse building materials and products in order to reduce demand for virgin materials and to reduce waste, thereby reducing impacts associated with the extraction and processing of virgin resources.

Requirements
Use salvaged, refurbished or reused materials such that the sum of these materials constitutes at least 5%, based on cost, of the total value of materials on the project. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components and specialty items such as elevators and equipment shall not be included in this calculation. Only include materials permanently installed in the project.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Identify opportunities to incorporate salvaged materials into building design and research potential materials suppliers. Consider salvaged materials such as concrete pavers, patio pavers, retaining wall block, brick and decorative items.

USGBC LEED® MR Credit 3.2: Materials Reuse: 10%

1 Point in addition to MR Credit 3.1

Intent
Reuse building materials and products in order to reduce demand for virgin materials and to reduce waste, thereby reducing impacts associated with the extraction and processing of virgin materials.

Requirements
Use salvaged, refurbished or reused materials for an additional 5% beyond MR Credit 3.1 (10% total, based on cost). Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components and specialty items such as elevators and equipment shall not be included in this calculation. Only include materials permanently installed in the project.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Identify opportunities to incorporate salvaged materials into building design and research potential materials suppliers. Consider salvaged materials such as beams and posts, paneling, doors and frames, concrete pavers, retaining wall block, brick and decorative items.

Application of Credits MR 3.1 and 3.2
A material salvaged during a building renovation can be applied to this credit only if it can no longer serve its original function and has been reprocessed and installed for a different use. An example would be crushing salvaged concrete pavers or retaining wall block for reuse as pavement base material. However, on a project where an existing building is being demolished or deconstructed the material salvaged and installed on the new site can be used to comply to this credit.

Documentation

To calculate the percentage of salvaged material, list all of the salvaged materials and their costs. If the cost of the salvaged material is below market value, use the replacement cost. For example, salvaged concrete pavers may be purchased for $0.50/ft2 ($5.38/m2) and new concrete pavers would cost $2.50/ft2 ($26.90/m2). For this credit, use the new cost in the following salvage calculation:

% Salvage Rate = Market value of salvage materials if purchased new/Total project material cost

For example, total material costs on a project are $1,600,000 (excluding labor and equipment costs). Existing concrete pavers on the site are salvaged and reused for a 35,000 ft2 (3,500 m2) parking lot at a potential new cost of $2.50/ft2 ($26.90/m2). The market value of new replacement material is $87,500. Therefore, 5.4% of the materials costs are spared through salvaging and reuse. This qualifies for one point. An additional point is earned if other salvaged materials from the project are added to this to bring this calculation to over 10%.

USGBC LEED® MR Credit 4.1: Recycled Content: 10% (post-consumer + 1/2 pre-consumer)

1 Point

Intent
Increase demand for building products that incorporate recycled content materials, therefore reducing impacts resulting from extracting and processing of virgin materials.

Requirements
Use materials with recycled content such that the sum for post-consumer
recycled content plus one-half of the pre-consumer content constitutes
at least 10% (based on cost) of the total value of the materials in the
project. The recycled content value of a material assembly shall be
determined by weight. The recycled fraction of the assembly is then  multiplied by the cost of assembly to determine the recycled content value. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components and specialty items such as elevators shall not be included in this calculation. Only include materials permanently installed in the project. Furniture may be included, providing it is included consistently in MR Credits 37. Recycled content shall be defined in accordance with the International Organization of Standards document, ISO 14021-Environmental labels and declarations – Selfdeclared environment claims (Type II environmental labeling). Post-consumer material is defined as waste material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product, which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. Pre-consumer material is defined as material diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process. Excluded is reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Establish a project goal for recycled content materials and identify material suppliers that can achieve this goal. During construction, ensure that the specified content materials are installed. Consider a range of environmental, economic and performance attributes when selected products and materials.

USGBC LEED® MR Credit 4.2 Recycled Content: 20% (post-consumer + 1/2 preconsumer)

1 Point in addition to MR Credit 4.1

Application of Credits MR 4.1 and 4.2
Segmental concrete paving products can be made with recycled materials and contribute to this credit. A portion of the cement can be replaced with flyash (coal combustion by-product), silica fume (by-product of silicon production), ground granulated blast furnace slag (from steel production), and recycle aggregate. They are called supplementary cementitious materials or SCMs. There is a growing amount of evidence that release of CO2 from combustion and methane gasses contribute to global warming. For every ton of cement produced about a ton of CO2 is released into the atmosphere. (Compare this to one gallon (3.81) of gasoline generates about 20 lbs (9 kgs) of CO2). Cement production comprises approximately 6% of CO2 generated throughout the world. Replacing a portion of cement with SCMs reduces CO2 output. The potential for replacing cement will vary among concrete paver manufacturers based on their location, which affects price and availability of recycled materials. Consult with an ICPI producer member to determine use of cement substitutes in paving products. Some cement suppliers to paver producers may provide cement with SCMs. Recycled content within cement does not count toward this credit unless the cement supplier provides a statement for recycled content for the cement.

Documentation
The percentage requirements in this LEED® credit are based on cost. Post-consumer recycled content refers to recycled materials or products recovered and recycled after use by the consumer, e.g. a plastic bottle. For manufactured concrete pavers, this is typically not used in the calculation. Post industrial waste for concrete pavers means recycled materials or products recovered and traded such as flyash, slag or silica fume. These materials should meet the ASTM and CSA definitions for SCMs. Using a concrete mix without supplementary cementing materials is compared to the mix ingredients used with SCMs to calculate the Portland cement reduction. This is converted to a percent with a factor of 2 applied to account for the environmental merits of reducing Portland cement by  substituting it with SCMs. An example follows: Basic mix: Concrete paver cement content: 16% Portland cement (by weight of total  dry mix) SCM mix:

Concrete paver with SCMs: 14% Portland cement + 2% flyash (by weight of total dry mix) Percentage of Portland cement reduction = [(Portland cement content of pavers without SCMs Portland cement content used with SCMs)/Portland cement content of pavers without SCMs] x 100 x 2.

Reduction in Portland Cement = (16 – 14)/16 x 100 x 2 = 25%

This is the post industrial recycled content contributed by the concrete pavers. It is used to calculate the recycled content value in the concrete pavers. For example, if the concrete pavers for a 30,000 ft2 (3,000 m2) project were purchased for $75,000, the post industrial recycled value is $75,000 x 25% x ½ = $9,375. This result is added to post-consumer and post industrial contributions from other materials used for the project. The total post-consumer and post industrial contribution are divided by the total material costs for the project to determine the percent of recycled content. All materials with recycled content are listed on a spreadsheet with their cost, percentage of post-consumer and one-half of the percentage of post industrial recycled content and resulting dollar values of recycled content. Installation costs are excluded. If the percentage of the value recycled content is 10% or more one point is earned. Two points are earned if the percentage is 20% or more.

USGBC LEED® MR Credit 5.1 Regional Materials: 10% Extracted, Processed &

Manufactured Regionally
1 Point

Intent
Increase demand for building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportations.

Requirements
Use a minimum of 10% of building materials or products for which at least 80% of the mass is extracted, processed and manufactured within 800km (500 miles) of the project site.

OR

Use a minimum of 10% of building materials or products for which at least 80% of the mass extracted, processed and manufactured with 2,400 km (1,500 miles) of the project site and shipped by rail or water
OR

Use a minimum of 10% of building materials or products that reflect a combination of the above extraction, processing, manufacturing and shipping criteria (e.g. 5% within 800km (500 miles) and 5% shipped by rail within 2,400 km (1,500 miles).

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Establish a project goal for regionally sourced materials and identify materials and material suppliers that can achieve this goal. During construction, ensure that the specified regional materials are installed and quantify the total percentage of local materials installed.

USGBC LEED® MR Credit 5.2 Regional Materials: 20% Extracted, Processed & Manufactured Regionally

1 Point in addition to MR Credit 5.1

Application of Credit MR 5.1 and MR 5.2
Interlocking Concrete Paver products can earn these credits since most extraction of aggregate and sand from quarries and the manufacturing plant are often within 500 miles (800 km) of the project site.

Documentation
Credits 5.1 and 5.2 are met by the contractor providing costs to the designer for all materials that meet these requirements. The invoice cost it typically used by must exclude transportation costs. In addition, a letter from the manufacturer should indicate the location for the manufacturing facility and location of the source(s) of extracted materials. Material production sheets can be provided instead of a letter if the sheets clearly state the manufacturing location and resource extraction locations. A single letter from a manufacturer can certify compliance with more than one credit. For example, a single letter can be supplied for concrete pavers with a recycled content and production within 500 miles (800 km) of the project.
500 miles

USGBC LEED® MR Credit 5.1 – 5.2: Regional Concrete Paver Materials

The following spreadsheet can be used to calculate the mass percentage of regional materials for Concrete Pavers.

USGBC LEED® ID Credit 4.1: Innovation and Design Process

1-4 Points

Intent
To provide design teams and project the opportunity to be awarded points for exceptional performance above the requirements set by the LEED-NC Green Building Rating System and/or innovative performance in Green Building categories not specifically addressed by the LEED-NC Green Building Rating System.

Requirements
Credit 1.1 (1 Point) – In writing, identify the intent of the proposed innovation credit, the proposed requirement for compliance, the proposed submittals to demonstrate compliance, and the design approach (strategies) that might be used to meet the requirements.

Credit 1.2 (1 Point) – Same as Credit 1.1
Credit 1.3 (1 Point) – Same as Credit 1.1
Credit 1.4 (1 Point) – Same as Credit 1.1

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Substantially exceed LEED® performance credit such as energy performance or water efficiency. Apply strategies or measures that are not covered by LEED® such as acoustic performance, education of occupants, community development or lifecycle analysis of material choices. If you have any questions about any of our concrete pavers, retaining wall block or if you need
assistance, please feel free to contact us using the link at the top of this page.