construction manager or supervisor the 7 components of

The 7 Components of Green Building

How to Become An Expert Green

Construction Manager Or Supervisor

A PUBLICATION OF GREEN ADVANTAGE, INC.

© 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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2

7

13

18

Introduction

Ensuring Quality: What an Expert Green Construction Manager or Supervisor Needs to Know Avoiding Mistakes and Callbacks: What an Expert Green Construction Manager or Supervisor Needs to Know

Lowering Risks: What An Expert Green Construction Manager or Supervisor Needs to Know

Conclusion

Certification Registration

Green Advantage, Inc. © 2020 Page 0

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Introduction

Green building means, methods, materials and best practices are constantly changing.

Green building rating systems, codes and standards regularly transition.

New technologies, such a drones, robots, and automated driving emerge.

Health and safety, and other green construction risks threaten.

With all of these changes and uncertainties, how can green construction managers and supervisors keep up?

And how can green construction supervisors show existing as well as prospective clients that they and the rest of their team are on top of their game?

If you are looking for answers to these questions, this eBook will help you chart the way forward.

Key takeaways of the e-book include how to:

❏ Ensure quality delivery. Delivering high performance, healthy buildings requires attention to detail

while working in a cost effective manner. Become familiar with some of the leading best practices

that can help your workforce achieve this ambitious goal.

❏ Avoid mistakes and callbacks. Working as a five-star green construction team requires knowledge

across trades. Discover some of the ways you and your crew can minimize costly mistakes.

❏ Lower your risks. Research shows that some green building approaches are more hazardous than

expected. Learn best practices to reduce these and other risks.

You’re invited to read this eBook and learn more about how you can become or continue to be a star

performer as a green construction manager or supervisor.


Chapter One

Ensuring Quality: What An Expert Green Construction

Manager or Supervisor Needs to Know


Ensuring Quality: What An Expert Green Construction Manager or Supervisor

Needs to KnowOptimally green construction ensures quality.

To help construction managers and supervisors become experts in their fields and ensure quality project delivery, Green Advantage, a non-profit credentialing body, has created two ANSI-Accredited, Green Builder Certifications.

One is for construction managers and supervisory personnel - the Green

Advantage Certified Practitioner (GACP®).

The other targets construction field personnel - the Green Advantage Certified Associate (GACA®).

The Study Guide for both of these credentials contains state-of-the-art means, methods, materials and best practices that can help you and your team achieve project green goals.

20+ members of the International Green Builder Certification Board oversee the development of the Study Guides and other features of these two credentials, such as exam items and continuing education requirements.

The International Green Builder Certification Board represents various industry perspectives - including construction contractors, architects, engineers, academicians and governmental agencies.

These leaders in the green building industry make certain that the GACP and GACA standards, including the associated Study Guides, present practical, field-oriented, relevant information that can help you and your team be at the top of your game.

For example, the GACP Study Guide contains over 800 green building best practices that are relevant across trades, regardless of the green building rating system, standard or code utilized.

And what’s more, the GACP Study Guide’s content is backed up by over 2,000 references from credible sources that help verify the accuracy of the information.

In the next Chapter we’ll review the 7 green building components that make up the GACP Study Guide.


https://www.ansi.org/about_ansi/overview/overview?menuid=1


Needs to KnowIn the GACP Study Guide, 7 components describe the scope of virtually every prominent green building rating system, code and standard.

Every construction manager and supervisor who wishes to become an expert in their field should have general familiarity with each of these and their content in order to ensure quality project delivery.

In the GACP Study Guide, each of the 7 components is thoroughly reviewed. In this Ebook, we offer a brief summary of each:

1. Context“Context” refers to the foundations of “green building”. Sustainability forms the basis of this foundation. Three pillars rest upon this sustainable foundation: environmental; social and economic. They are also called the “triple bottom line.” This section of the GACP Study Guide primarily focuses on the financial (economic) context. It has less emphasis on the environmental and social context. The financial context includes an overview of major green building codes, standards, and rating systems. Examples are LEED, Green Globes, National Green Building Standard (NGBS), Living Building Standard, Passive House, ASHRAE 189.1 and the International Green Building Code (IgCC).

2. SitesThis section presents information for making decisions about choosing the location of a building project. It also focuses on matters that relate to the building area. It is one of five sections that addresses construction deliverables.

To produce a sustainable site, a building project needs to promote broad sustainable land use patterns. The site must be ecologically restored. Impacts of construction on the site need to be minimized. Attributes of the surrounding microclimate need to be leveraged. Stormwater must be dealt with in an environmentally safe way. Outdoor amenities, such as exterior lighting, need to minimize light pollution and energy use.



Needs to Know3. WaterThe Water section of the GACP Study Guide presents information used to make decisions about water-related construction techniques and products. This section is one of five that directly addresses construction deliverables. An environmentally friendly approach to water use includes conservation through proper sourcing and demand reduction. It also includes environmentally friendly water treatment. The most effective sequence for pursuing water efficiency is load reduction, system efficiency and use of renewable resources. This section has two

principal elements that rely on this sequencing: water conservation and ecological water discharge. As within other sections, advantages and disadvantages are presented.

4. Energy & AtmosphereThe Energy and Atmosphere section of the GACP Study Guide presents information used to make energy-related decisions in construction projects. This section is one of five that addresses construction deliverables; advantages and disadvantages of energy means and methods are discussed. Energy and atmosphere considerations include energy sourcing and energy performance. For example, energy performance is mainly a function of the building’s efficiency envelope. It is also the energy use of fixed and non-fixed mechanical equipment. The most effective sequence for managing and reducing energy consumption in buildings include: load reduction, system efficiency and renewable resources.

5. MaterialsThe Materials section of the GACP Study Guide presents information to make decisions about products and supplies used in green construction projects. This section is one of five that addresses construction deliverables. The Materials section has the following elements: long life building approaches; environmentally friendly selection criteria; and commonly used green building materials. The Study Guide presents both advantages and disadvantages of each of the elements.



Needs to Know

7. ProcessThis section of the GACP Study Guide presents information used to determine and implement essential steps to produce a green building. The focus is on the means and methods that impact a green building project. Emphasis is also placed on reducing business risks, protecting workers, and lightening environmental impacts of green building. Various ways to improve structuring and coordinating the project are outlined. Green approaches and best practices are featured. These include material handling and personnel efficiencies to reduce costs. In a word, this section speaks to the “how” of green building.

The next Chapter in this eBook presents some sample best practices from the Study Guide. These can be used to avoid mistakes and callbacks on green construction projects.

6. Indoor Environmental QualityThis section of the GACP Study Guide presents information used to make decisions applicable to the construction product. It includes emphasis on indoor air quality, indoor visual quality, indoor water quality, indoor acoustical quality, and indoor navigation. Advantages and disadvantages of means and methods are presented throughout. Although more specific information about indoor environmental quality is documented in this section, as with every section, some overlap occurs. For example, thermal comfort of occupants is addressed in the Energy & Atmosphere section.


Chapter TwoAvoiding Mistakes &

Callbacks: What An Expert Green Construction

Manager or Supervisor Needs to Know


Avoiding Mistakes & Callbacks: What An Expert Green Construction Manager or

Supervisor Needs to Know

them. When mistakes are made, other team members non-judgmentally call them out, in the spirit of achieving common goals.

Awareness of practical and relevant green building best practices is fundamental to avoiding mistakes and callbacks. This Chapter features examples of some of the 800+ best practices in the GACP Study Guide:

Avoiding mistakes and callbacks on jobs rely on high levels of team collaboration. Team collaboration is further strengthened by the knowledge, skills and abilities - the competencies - of each of its members.

Expert green construction managers and supervisors continually strive to educate their team members and to encourage team collaboration. In exceptional green building projects, this alliance among team members resonates within a given trade as well as across trades. Integrated design and construction aren’t slogans, but instead they describe well run teams that still make mistakes, but there are fewer of

Best Practice: Changing the Mindset; Creating aMistake-Correcting Culture. An important best practice is to adopt a procedure to “raise the green flag” to get immediate attention. This technique can be used to communicate problems and solutions among and between trades.

As you know, construction work requires high levels of collaboration. Workers are the eyes and ears of quality assurance on any job. Workers who have state-of-the-art green knowledge, skills and abilities are better prepared to use this mindset to identify problems and develop solutions. Their shared green awareness helps ensure higher quality construction delivery and building performance.




Best Practice: Site Disturbance & Erosion Control. The GACP Study Guide also present best practices for effective soil and erosion control. Landscaping practices, such as preservation of non-invasive existing plants and trees, are a part of soil and erosion control. Some poor practices continue, such as installing mulch volcanoes around the bases of tree trunks, despite the threat this poses to tree health. Tree roots need to be adequately protected from heavy equipment and digging. And matting materials used on site need to be made from biodegradable materials.

Best Practice: Concrete Washout and Stormwater Management. Too often, the picture in the upper left is the norm on construction sites. In contrast, to control concrete washout, a best practice recommends a watertight prefabricated container or watertight constructed area onsite. The washout pond should be near planned concrete work and properly sized for use throughout the construction phase.

Forms should be made available to use excess concrete to make concrete pavers or small "deadmen" blocks of concrete. These can be embedded with rebar hooks. The deadmen blocks can provide temporary bracing or anchor tarps.

At the end of the project, the washout pond is removed and its contents recycled.




Best Practice: Water Efficiency and Damage Reduction. Water mist fire protection systems use pressure to spray water in a fine mist. This lowers radiant heat and displaces oxygen. The fire goes out with less water. Using this type of fixture results in less water damage and cleanup than traditional sprinkler systems. Disadvantages are also listed in the GACP Study Guide, such as mist systems not being suitable for larger areas.

Best Practice: Water Efficiency. In selecting or recommending toilets for installation, what are the pros and cons? For example, the pressure assisted toilet on the left has the advantage of forcing water through the vertical stack, preventing clogging and doing it all in one rather than multiple flushes. This pressurized action of the water also reduces toilet bowl cleaning. And the action is mechanical, so no electricity is required. On the right, the dual flush uses less water. But without the pressure assist feature, several flushes might be needed and more toilet bowl cleaning is necessary. A hybrid pressure assisted dual flush is also available that features a single flush with less water.




Best Practice: Thermographic Imaging + HygrothermalPerformance Evaluation. If we are to succeed in constructing buildings that achieve net zero or net positive energy, thermographic imaging and hygrothermal testing are a must for wall assemblies. Hygrothermal testing, that is, testing for heat and moisture movement, is a code requirement in Europe. This best practice is included in the GACP Study Guide.

Best Practice: Building Envelope Penetration. A best practice listed in the GACP Study Guide recommends that workers penetrating the building envelope check out and return the penetration tools with their supervisor.

This way the supervisor can track any penetration made in the envelope and make sure the penetration is essential and if so, that it is properly sealed.

Best Practice: Blower Door and Duct Pressurization. Optimally, multiple blower door tests should be performed to identify areas of air leakage. These include after sealing, but prior to insulating wall assemblies, as well as after insulating, but prior to installing drywall. In commercial projects, these tests are conducted on sections of the building under construction.


Chapter Three

Lowering Risks: What An Expert Green

Construction Manager or Supervisor Needs to Know


Lowering Risks: What An Expert Green Construction Manager or Supervisor Needs to

Know

Best Practice: Duct coverings during green construction. Duct covers must be used to keep dust and debris out of the ductwork. Once installed, the ducts need to stay covered continuously throughout the construction process. The photo on the left comes from a project pursuing LEED Platinum Certification. A plastic wrap cover is used to accomplish this goal. This helps, but plastic wrap covers have a tendency to fall off, so this approach requires regular monitoring and maintenance. However, research shows that workers on green projects are more likely to experience fall hazards with this approach. This is because repetitive ladder work is needed to ensure that these plastic coverings are maintained throughout the construction project.

As a alternative that improves worker safety, the best practice calls for fabricating or purchasing a pre-fabricated duct covering. This type of duct cover can be installed on the ground and placed overhead with the ductwork assembly. With this best practice, the ladder work is only needed once during initial installation. The covering stays in place throughout the job, saves time, and creates a more efficient, cleaner result.

Best Practice: Waste Management and Controlling Mercury Emissions. Do you know which bulbs contain mercury and how to best dispose of them?........If you answered tube fluorescents and CFLs you were right. They both contain mercury. LEDs don’t contain mercury.

Mercury containing bulbs should be carefully segregated and

disposed of according to local requirements.


Lowering Risks: What An Expert Green Construction Manager or Supervisor

Needs to Know

Best Practice; Eliminate or Reduce Idling. Managing transportation during construction is another important area of best practice emphasis.

For example, idling reduction strategies and technologies can save fuel and maintenance costs. They can extend vehicle life and reduce damaging emissions.

Best Practice: Invasive Control. When a worker is sent to a nursery to purchase plant material, it’s important that the worker realizes that some of the plants available might be invasives. Non-native, invasive plants are one of the leading causes of habitat loss. It is estimated that the annual cost to the US economy of invasive plant infestations is $120 billion.

Unfortunately these plants are generally not marked as invasives in the store. Shown in this picture are Japanese Pachysandra, Adjuga and English Ivy. And nursery clerks may not be able to reliably tell customers which plants are invasive and which aren’t. Fortunately there are Native Plant Societies throughout the US that keep updated listings of invasives available for reference.

As with conventional construction, there are many risks in green construction. Awareness and use of green building best practices can help eliminate or mitigate these risks. In this Chapter some sample best practices from the 800+ in the GACP Study Guide are featured to illustrate this point.



Needs to Know

Best Practice: Water Efficiency and Renewable Energy Opportunities. Conventional pipe venting and roof penetrations can cause problems. They can compromise insulation performance and inhibit photovoltaic roof applications. Air Admittance Valves (AAVs) eliminate these problems because no penetrations are needed. It is a one-way mechanical vent that opens as wastewater is discharged. At all other times the valve remains closed. However, AAVs are not permitted by code officials in some jurisdictions.

Best Practice: Waste Management and Preventing Laceration Injuries. Dumpster diving. Research is showing that workers assigned to separate waste for recycling purposes have greater exposure to laceration injuries. In order to prepare for the GACP and GACA certification exams, workers are responsible for learning the best practice alternatives to achieve recycling and waste reduction goals that reduce the risk of injury.



Needs to Know

Best Practice: Pre-construction Risk Assessment. In healthcare construction, renovation, and, some maintenance and repair activities can significantly impact patients, staff, construction workers, and the surrounding community. Risks include noise, vibration, and the spread of infection. The purpose of a Pre-Construction Risk Assessment is to identify potential risks and mitigation strategies that could arise from upcoming construction activities. Some of the best practices not only apply to healthcare construction, but to construction in general, as you can see in the contrast between these pictures.

Best Practice: Blast Protection. Some green building concepts complement security concerns; others conflict. Elegant solutions satisfy both green building and security needs.

For example, the GACP Study Guide suggests that the amount of impervious surface should be minimized. This reduces the need for stormwater culverts, drainage pipes, and manholes. These can provide covert site access and weapon concealment areas.


Conclusion

As you can see from this eBook, the Green Advantage Certified Practitioner Certification (GACP) has many benefits to construction managers and supervisors.

The effectiveness of Green Advantage Certified personnel is also backed up by research. In a study piloted by Professor Charles Kibert at the University of Florida, Dr. Kibert noted that: “Our research…confirm[s] what has been expressed by project principals, architects, trainers and others: significant environmental, health and attitudinal improvements can be attributed to the use of Green Advantage Certified personnel.”

“In addition, trends in this research showed that projects utilizing larger percentages of workers with this credential, greater than 30% of key supervisory personnel, are more likely to spot problems that would affect green building performance, identify cost cutting opportunities and increase the prospects of attaining LEED Certification at, or higher than, the level sought.”

Green Advantage invites you to consider sharpening your skill set as a construction manager or supervisor and demonstrating your competencies by taking and passing the GACP exam. You can take the exam with or without training. Once you pass the GACP exam, you will be certified for 5 years. You can renew your credential by retesting or by taking approved courses.

Others on your team may wish to sit for the Green Advantage Certified Associate (GACA) exam that’s targeted to field personnel. Its Study Guide is a subset of the material found in the GACP Study Guide. Like the GACP, it is valid for 5 years and can be renewed with or without testing.

To learn more about the GACP and the GACA, click here. To learn more about the LEED Innovation Credit associate with the use of Green Advantage Certified personnel, click here.

We hope this eBook was helpful to you!


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Green Advantage offers two green builder certifications:

1. The Green Advantage Certified Practitioner (GACP®)

2. The Green Advantage Certified Practitioner (GACA®)

Getting certified is just a few steps away!

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