LEED

Cuviello Concrete has had a White Paper written by one of the leading LEED AP’s in the country that explores the sustainable benefits of polishing a concrete floor using the Cuviello Concrete Polishing System for use in a variety of applications as opposed to covering the concrete with carpeting, hardwood or other traditional floor covering material. This process, as offered by Cuviello Concrete and as taught at the Concrete Polishing Technical Institute.

In general non-technical terms, sustainability is defined as the ability to support or to keep a process going for a significant, yet undefined period of time. In the construction industry, the concept takes on tighter parameters. Sustainability in this context has come to be synonymous with “environmentally friendly” and “green.” Engineers and architects define sustainability to mean having no net negative impact on the environment while providing a long life cycle of performance. It also embraces qualities such as energy savings, material reuse and minimal maintenance.

In an effort to reduce the energy consumption across the country, more and more builders are embracing the concept of sustainable development––the ability to build the facilities and structures we need today without depleting resources for the future. Sustainability seeks to balance the economic, social and environmental impacts, recognizing that population growth will continue as will the need for more commercial structures.

There has been a surge of architects and designers specifying polished concrete as a finished floor surface as a result of its green and sustainable qualities. Polished concrete can help achieve LEED points in every category and is the only flooring option that can be renewed on site. When it comes to a floor that is green and sustainable there is no other flooring on the market that beats processed and polished concrete.

There are three components that make concrete processing and polishing green and sustainable – the concrete itself, the process of polishing and the final floor finish.

Concrete is primarily made from natural materials and can incorporate recycled material such as recycled glass or fly ash. Even the concrete itself can be recycled and then used in other projects. Concrete is extremely durable, the ingredients for making concrete are readily available, obtaining many of its ingredients do not cause any permanent environmental harm and there is no toxic off gassing. Concrete also has the ability to absorb, store, and later release significant amounts of heat better than many other flooring materials.

Installing a polished concrete floor system is the only flooring currently on the market that can be renewed on site. All products used for installation fall well within VOC limits. The installation process can be done either wet or dry and either method will yield acceptable indoor air quality limits.

Polishing the existing concrete eliminates the need for an additional flooring material that needs to be manufactured and transported. Processed concrete has a longer life cycle than any other flooring currently available such as carpet, wood or bamboo. Depending on the quality of the concrete a properly polished floor will have a life that last forever. This eliminates the need to fill landfills with old worn out carpet or the environmental impact of transporting and remanufacturing materials into recycled products. Materials such as VCT and resilient materials have extensive maintenance cycles that requires stripping and refinishing with caustic chemicals that require repeated energy usage. Coatings and epoxies have the potential to flake or peel and also require refinishing or replacement. Carpet requires frequent cleanings. Unlike carpet the polished surface provides better indoor air quality because it does not traps and hold pollutants. The polished surface of concrete reflects light and increases the effectiveness of overhead lighting. Polished concrete has significant sustainable benefits not available by any other flooring material currently on the market.

There is a significant environmental difference in wet versus dry grinding processes. This report will document these differences and why a combination of wet and dry is the best option from a LEED friendly standpoint.

The report also address several of the more popular green building initiatives, specifically the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating System and the international Green Globes program. We will offer specific details on the role a polished concrete floor can play in the various categories and credits that are available in a LEED project.

The report covers explains what LEED credits and Green Globes points are available when the Cuviello Concrete Polishing system is used and covers the following categories:

LEED
NC (VERSION 2.2) – NEW CONSTRUCTION AND MAJOR RENOVATION
EB -- EXISTING BUILDINGS - Operations & Maintenance
CI – COMMERCIAL INTERIORS
CS – CORE & SHELL CONSTRUCTION
SCHOOLS

For a copy of the report please email us at info@concrete-medic.com