THE GREEN GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION FOURTH EDITION Jane Anderson, David Shiers and Kristian Steele THE GREEN GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION An Environmental Profiling System for Building Materials and Components Fourth edition Jane Anderson BRE Global David Shiers Oxford Brookes University Kristian Steele BRE Global ii BRE is the UK’s leading centre of expertise on the built This edition first published 2009 environment, construction, energy use in buildings, fire © 2009 BRE and Oxford Brookes University prevention and control, and risk management. BRE Global is a part of the BRE Group, a world leading research, consultancy, Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in training, testing and certification organisation, delivering February 2007. Blackwell’s publishing programme has been sustainability and innovation across the built environment and merged with Wiley’s global Scientific, Technical, and Medical beyond. 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However, we can take no responsibility for the subsequent use of this information, For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services nor for any errors or omissions it may contain. and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at BRE, Garston, Watford WD25 9XX www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell. Tel: 01923 664000 The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work [email protected] has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and www.bre.co.uk Patents Act 1988. BRE publications are available from All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be www.ihsbrepress.com reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any or form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, IHS BRE Press recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Willoughby Road Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of Bracknell RG12 8FB the publisher. Tel: 01344 328038 Fax: 01344 328005 Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Email: [email protected] Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Requests to copy any part of this publication should be made to the publisher: Designations used by companies to distinguish their products IHS BRE Press are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product Garston, Watford WD25 9XX names used in this book are trade names, service marks, Tel: 01923 664761 trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Email: [email protected] The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide Front cover photographs: accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject Left: Innovate Green Office, Thorpe Park, Leeds matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher (BREEAM Offices award-winner 2007) is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional Architect: Rio architects, Cardiff advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a Environmental Engineer: King Shaw Associates competent professional should be sought. Right: Code for Sustainable Homes rated houses on the BRE Innovation Park: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available. Top: LighthouseTM, Kingspan Offsite Middle: EcohouseTM, Hanson A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Bottom: OrganicsTM house, ecoTECH Library. Printed on paper sourced from Set in 9pt ZapfHumnst by IHS BRE Press responsibly managed forests Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall BR 501 1 2009 © Copyright BRE and Oxford Brookes University 2009 First published 2009 IHS BRE Press ISBN 978-1-84806-071-5 Wiley-Blackwell ISBN 978-1-40511-961-0 iii CONTENTS Foreword v Acknowledgements vi Project sponsors vii The authors viii PART 1 INTRODUCTION 1 Background 3 2 The Green Guide and related BRE titles 6 3 Life cycle assessment (LCA) in The Green Guide 10 4 How The Green Guide to Specification was compiled 18 PART 2 USING THE GREEN GUIDE 5 How to use The Green Guide to Specification 27 PART 3 THE GREEN GUIDE RATINGS 6 The Green Guide tables 33 6.1 Ground floors 39 6.2 Upper floors 53 6.3 Separating floors 67 6.4 Roofs 87 6.5 External walls 129 6.6 Windows and curtain walling 185 6.7 Internal walls 189 6.8 Separating walls 197 6.9 Insulation 205 6.10 Landscaping 209 Appendix: Project steering group and peer review panels 219 Contacts and further information 220 References 221 Index 223 v FOREWORD The relationship between the built and the natural Many organisations in both the public and private environments has received an unprecedented level of sectors are finding that ‘greener’ property can lead coverage in the media in recent years as well as driving to lower running costs, reduced enviro-legal risks, much new scientific research. Concerns regarding greater occupier satisfaction (through better working our ability to meet our present economic and social environments) and enhanced PR and marketing benefits. requirements without compromising the needs of future The numbers of businesses now signing up to Corporate generations, have also been responsible for recent Social Responsibility programmes is evidence of this extensive and far-reaching environmental legislation growth in environmental and social awareness. Better, introduced in many countries, including the UK. more environmentally responsible choices regarding This has happened for good reasons; the use of energy the types of materials that we put into our buildings are in buildings, in industrial processes and in our transport therefore central to reducing the global environmental systems, and the consequent release of carbon dioxide impact of the property sector. and other emissions into the earth’s atmosphere, has In this book, building materials and components are raised very real fears of global climate change. At the assessed in terms of their environmental impact across same time, the increasing rates of deforestation, the their entire life cycle – ‘from cradle-to-grave’, within extensive use of many of our natural but finite resources comparable specifications. Such accessible and reliable and the production and management of waste materials, information will be of great assistance to all those involved are just some of the environmental issues that point to the in the design, construction and management of buildings unsustainable nature of many human systems. as they work to reduce the environmental impact of their There are no guarantees that even with an immediate properties. and concerted effort on the part of politicians and We are sure that this book will help to ensure that in industry, the future will be better than it might otherwise the future, property professionals will be able to make the have been or that the predicted environmental and soundest possible environmentally responsible choices in economic problems will be avoided. However, a new and their materials selection. more responsible approach to the natural environment is surely our best chance of, at the very least, reducing the scale of these impacts to hopefully more manageable Neville Simms Jonathon Porritt proportions. It is also self-evident that less pollution and Chairman Chairman less profligate use of resources can offer many financial BRE Trust Sustainable Development and quality-of-life advantages now. Commission vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution BRE made and the support given by the following individuals Peter Bonfield and organisations. Particular thanks are due to the Mike Clift Construction Products Association and their members Martin Cook for helping the team with information capture and Angus Jack constructive criticism. A special thank you is given to Chris Watson Jane Thornback, without whose hard work and support The Green Guide would not be possible. Oxford Brookes University Professor Martin Avis BRE Global Project Team Richard Grover Kim Allbury Tim Allan Julia Barnard Victoria Blake Others Andrew Dutfield John Bowdidge Sue Fakes Kathryn Bourke Faithful+Gould Emma Franklin Suzy Edwards Katie Halls Professor Anthony Heath University of Oxford Jo Mundy Dr Karen Kearley University of Oxford Kavita Ramchandra Miles Keeping GVA Grimley Bridget Randall Professor Anthony Lavers White & Case Paul Thistlethwaite Professor Paul McNamara PruPIM Alan Pearman Centre for Decision Research, University of Leeds Eva Schmincke Five Winds, Germany BRE Global Jane Thornback Construction Products David Crowhurst Association Richard Hardy Wayne Trusty Athena Sustainable Materials Institute, Canada vii PROJECT SPONSORS