Articles - Dawn Killough, Freelance Construction Writer

Bullitt Center Case Study

The Bullitt Center in Seattle, Washington, is one of the most self-sufficient buildings on the planet. It is net zero energy and, after the water reuse system is approved by city authorities, net zero water. Net zero means that the building uses the same amount as it creates or generates – it is self-sufficient. In a series of posts here on GBE, we will look at what makes this building tick.

Solar Power

The Bullitt Center uses photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate electricity. Conventional wisdom would say that Seattle isn’t the sunniest of locations to set up a solar energy system, but it works. During the summer, when sunshine is abundant, the system sends its excess electricity out to the grid, helping the City keep up with increased demand. During the winter months, when it is overcast, the Center draws from the grid as needed. Over a year’s time, the amount of electricity generated by the PV system is above the amount used by the building and its occupants.

The solar panels, provided by SunPower, are some of the highest efficiency panels available in the world for commercial applications. 570 panels cover the distinctive mortar board roof structure that extends out over the edge of the building. The panels collectively generate approximately 230,000 KWH per year.

+ Efficiency

Tenants of the six-story, 50,000 square foot building are allotted an energy budget each month, depending on the size of the space they lease. Those tenants that stay within their budget are charged nothing for the electricity they use. This provides incentives for tenants to be energy-efficient. The building uses approximately 230,000 KWH per year, compared to a typical office building of the same size that uses 1,077,000 KWH.

The building uses daylighting, geothermal heating and cooling, operable windows, and other measures to increase its energy efficiency. The design team applied for special permission from the City of Seattle to increase the height of each floor of the building to allow for improved daylighting further into the core of the structure, reducing the need for heat-generating light fixtures. Geothermal and radiant floor heating and cooling are used to efficiently moderate temperatures within. The building management system (BMS) regulates the heating and cooling systems, and even controls the window shades and operable windows to optimize efficiency. The BMS acts as the “brain” for the entire building, controlling all processes, such as composting, water treatment, and ventilation.

= Net Zero

The combination of site-generated electricity and high energy efficiency means the Bullitt Center uses the same amount of energy as it produces. It has a net zero energy effect on the environment – the true definition of a sustainable building. The Center is seeking certification from the Living Building Challenge, which recognizes structures that go beyond “green” and take responsibility for their effects on the environment and take steps to reduce those effects and/or offset them.

Update

After one year of operation, the Bullitt Center used 147,000 KWH of electricity and generated 252,000 KWH. The project was 85% occupied during this time and tenants were extremely satisfied with the building and its greenness.

In an April 2014 press release, Denis Hayes, CEO of the Bullitt Foundation said, “After seeing how the Bullitt Center performed in its first year, I’m certain we will be net positive energy, not just net zero. If we can do this in cloudy Seattle, owners in other cities should be embarrassed if they don’t achieve zero net energy.”

Water

Rainwater Catchment System

Rainwater falling on the PV panel roof of the Bullitt Center flows through the panels and into a 56,000 gallon cistern, which is actually a room in the basement. The system supplies non-potable water for all of the toilets, hose spigots, and the irrigation system.

A treatment system to take rainwater to potable standards is provided in the building, but it has not been approved for use by the City yet. The system will send the rainwater through a series of filters, including an ultrafilter so fine it removes viruses, and an ultraviolet disinfection system. Until the treatment system is approved for use, the building gets its potable water from the city water system.

Composting Toilets and More

Foam flush toilets that use less than a cup of rainwater per flush are used in all bathrooms in the Center. A natural soap helps the waste slide to the basement, where the waste is stored in one of several composting units. Wood chips are added to the waste, and with the help of heated air circulated through the units, about 90 gallons of compost are produced per unit per year. Temperatures in the composters are kept at 135 to 165 F to ensure that pathogens and contaminants are eliminated.

The compost and a nutrient-rich leachate that is drained from the units is shipped to a nearby composting facility and will be combined with other materials to be used as a soil amendment.

Gray water, waste from the sinks and showers in the building, is distributed to a constructed wetland on the second floor roof, where the water is filtered by the soil and vegetation. Once it meets city standards, it goes to a planting strip where it eventually returns to the city’s aquifer.

Challenging the Status Quo

The Bullitt Center’s innovative plumbing and rainwater treatment systems have tested the boundaries of local building codes and jurisdictions. No project has been this advanced in its thinking. The City of Seattle has been working with the design team to provide assistance for other projects looking to use similar systems.

Advancements made through the project include a pilot program to help other projects looking for Living Building certification, the approval of the composting system, and continued work to approve the rainwater treatment system for use as potable water.

Healthy Green Materials

The Living Building Challenge requires projects to avoid as many of the chemicals and substances that are found on the Red List as possible. These substances have been recognized by government agencies, such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, the European Union Commission, and the State of California, as potentially harmful to human or animal life on Earth. Not all of the substances can be avoided, though, due to the lack of availability of materials that do not contain them.

The Bullitt Center team avoided over 360 known chemicals on this list. Some were easy to avoid, as alternatives were readily available. The team also worked with suppliers to create products that met their requirements, changing the way the products were made and making them available to others.

Most plumbing valves, even those made of brass and bronze, contain up to 7% lead. Lead free valves, with an allowable lead content of only 0.25%, were used in both the potable and non-potable water systems, including fire sprinklers.

Phthalates are commonly used in PVC and other plastic products. A high-performance water barrier company performed 6 months of research to develop a product that did not contain phthalates, just for the Bullitt Center project. The new product has now replaced the original version going forward.

Dioxins are a by-product of the manufacture, combustion, and disposal of products containing chlorine, most notably PVC products. Couplings for no-hub ductile iron pipe are commonly made with neoprene, which contains chlorine. The team worked with the manufacturer to special order couplings made of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber.

The electrician was able to find electrical wire not coated in PVC that met code standards.

The fiberglass insulation in the project is held together by a plant-based polymer, not the usual one that contains formaldehyde.

Certified Wood

The Bullitt Center is a wood-framed structure. Because of its location and the importance of the timber industry in the Pacific Northwest, the project team decided this was the best choice for the project. 100% of the lumber in the building has been harvested from an Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified source. The project was also recognized as the only commercial project to receive the Forest Stewardship Council Project Certification, in recognition of responsible forest products use throughout the building.

Local Sourcing

Perhaps the greatest story about green materials and the Bullitt Center involves the curtain wall (window) system. Due to the high performance needs of the project, only one product could be used, and it was only manufactured in Europe. A Washington company partnered with the European manufacturer to gain the knowledge to manufacture and install the system in the US. The Washington company flew their employees over to find out how to make and install the system, and a licensing agreement was reached. Now this high performance system is available in the US for future projects to use.

The Bullitt Center team worked with contractors and suppliers to provide green materials throughout the building, some of which were not available before this project. The team changed the future of green building by asking questions and challenging the status quo.

Policy Changes

As we’ve seen in this series, the Bullitt Center project challenged many of the current building codes and concepts of how a building is built. Cooperation among competitors, installation of unapproved systems, and pushing the envelope of what is considered the “way things are done” have characterized the project from the beginning. The project has been successful in preparing the way for similar projects.

According to the media kit from the Bullitt Center Foundation: “The era of cheap abundant energy, plentiful fresh water, and localized impacts of human activities is over. Humans now affect every corner of the planet. Yet virtually no new buildings – even “green buildings” – are being built to function harmoniously in the conditions we know will prevail. The Bullitt Center is designed to still make sense 250 years from now. And it was built to ease barriers for projects yet to come. The first Prius cost more than the 10,000th. But before you can build the 10,000th of anything, you need to build the first.”

One of the biggest impacts of the Bullitt Center project is the development of the Living Building Pilot Program in the City of Seattle. This program will make the process of building future Living Buildings a bit easier. It allowed changes such as increasing the floor-to-floor height of building levels, allowing for more daylight to reach the inner sections of the building. The City will use these types of changes to revise the current building codes, therefore increasing the energy efficiency of all new buildings.

The Center team decided to provide bike-only parking on the site and developed a transportation plan for its occupants to reduce the use of single-occupant vehicles. This is the City’s first commercial building to take advantage of legislation focused on designated Urban Villages that are well served by public transportation.

The project team designed and built a fully functioning water treatment plant in the building. However, the system has yet to be approved by City and state officials. The team is actively working with these authorities to get this system approved so the Bullitt Center can be net zero water as well. It is not known when approval will be achieved. Meanwhile the building is hooked up to municipal water and waste until the treatment system can be used.

There also was no precedent for using a greywater reuse and composting system in a commercial setting. The project team worked with City, State, and county authorities to design a system and get it approved. This sets the stage for other projects to follow in their footsteps. It is good to see building teams and authorities working together to make a building more efficient.

The project team’s desire to design their project to be the most efficient building they could make, and their willingness to work with the local jurisdictions to make this happen, have led to the Bullitt Center. It is a showcase for what can be done when teams are willing to work together, and for what can come from a vision.

Previously posted on Green Building Elements in 2015.

Photo by Brad Kahn, through a Creative Commons License.

Coronavirus Leave: What Small Businesses Need to Know

The CARES Act created a new federally mandated paid sick leave for employees who think they have COVID-19 or have to care for someone who is potentially affected by it. Small businesses, those with under 500 employees, are the target of the Coronavirus leave act. It is important for business owners and HR departments to be aware of this new leave and its requirements. This will help predict costs and make sure they follow the federal mandates carefully.

What the Coronavirus leave act says

The act applies to public and private employers with less than 500 employees. If your business has less than 50 employees and providing paid leave would be a severe financial burden, you may ask for an exemption to some of the leave requirements.

Covered employees include both part- and full-time workers, as well as seasonal workers. Only workers employed for more than 30 calendar days are eligible for the additional leave shown below. The act lasts through December 31, 2020.

Here is a breakdown of the paid leave you are required to provide:

Length of paid leave	Rate of pay	Cap on hours	Condition
Two weeks	Regular wages	80	Quarantined or experiencing symptoms and seeking diagnosis
Two weeks	Two-thirds (2/3) wages	80	Caring for someone in quarantine or caring for child(ren) if school or day care is closed due to COVID-19
Additional 10 weeks	Two-thirds (2/3) wages	None	If employee has been employed for at least 30 calendar days, and is caring for child(ren) if school or day care is closed due to COVID-19

The leave act took effect on April 1, 2020, with a reprieve in enforcement until April 17, 2020. After that time, subject employers not providing paid leave can expect enforcement to include payment of wages due. An electrical company in Tucson was recently ordered to pay $1,600 to a worker who was denied paid sick leave after showing Coronavirus symptoms.

If an employee does not receive paid leave from their employer and they fit the guidelines for receiving it, the employee can submit a complaint to the Department of Labor. Employers are prohibited from discharging, disciplining, or discriminating against an employee that takes paid sick leave and files such a complaint.

Employers can recoup the costs of the paid leave through dollar-for-dollar tax credits. In order to claim the credits, the employer will need to keep certain records to substantiate both the need for the leave and the costs.

Records to keep

Before taking paid leave under this act, the employee needs to request it. In the request the following information should be collected:

Name of employee
Dates of leave requested
Reason for leave
A statement from the employee giving the reason they are unable to work
Name of the entity that issued the quarantine or isolation order or the health care provider they sought treatment from

If the request is due to lack of childcare or schools closing, additional information is required:

Name of child(ren)
Name of school, care center, or childcare provider
Statement from employee that no other suitable person is available

An employer doesn’t have to provide leave if the employee does not provide the required information.

In addition, businesses will need to provide back-up documentation showing how they arrived at the amount to pay each employee during their leave. This will include payroll reports from before the pandemic, and records of amounts paid during leave.

Employers are also required to maintain contributions to the employee’s health insurance plan to keep the plan in effect. If the employee normally makes contributions to their insurance, those contributions will continue through the leave period. Keep records of these costs as well.

This paid leave doesn’t have to be taken all at one time. It can be used intermittently in combination with work and telework. For example, if an employee can only work Monday, Wednesday, and Friday due to childcare issues, they can apply for this leave and receive two-thirds of their wages for Tuesday and Thursday of each week.

Small businesses need to be aware of the leave requirements, so they don’t end up having to pay more in the long run. It is important to remember that employees do not actually have to be diagnosed with Coronavirus to qualify for paid leave. If an employee has symptoms and believes they could have Coronavirus, and is seeking medical treatment, they qualify for paid sick leave under the CARES Act while they wait for a diagnosis.

For more information on the CARES Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, see the sources below.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-employee-paid-leave#_ftn1

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-employer-paid-leave

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-questions

What Affects R-Value of a Building?

The insulation value, or R-value, of a building is a sum of the components that make up the outer shell. This often includes siding, insulation, framing, and drywall. There are certain parts of a building, however, that detract from its ability to insulate.

*R-value affects heat loss in a building*

Doors and Windows

As much as we love, and need, doors and windows, they are not good for a building’s insulation value. Doors open and close, allowing air to move freely inside and out. Additionally, it can be tough to completely seal the gap around a door, causing even more air leakage even when the door is closed.

Windows are also not very insulating. Recent changes in glass technology and the use of multiple panes of glass have improved their insulating properties a bit, but they still can’t compare with other materials.

Just to further confuse the issue, windows have to have their own label to measure their insulating value – the U-factor. U-factor is the inverse of R-value, so the lower the number, the better insulation the window provides.

One of the characteristics that affects the insulating ability of a window is SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient), a measurement of the amount of heat caused by sunlight that is allowed through the glass. The lower the SHGC, the less solar heat the window transmits. It is important to note that both of these measurements, U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient, only apply to the glass in the window, not the frame.

How can you increase the insulation value of a window? Options include: insulating window shades, window tinting or film to prevent solar heat gain, and the use of multiple panes of glass with insulating gases (such as argon) inserted between the panes.

*Doors create opportunities for air to flow in and out, reducing energy efficiency*

Air Gaps

Air gaps are the bane of insulation! As much as insulation and other building materials try to keep the outside out and the inside in, gaps between materials, or holes within materials, defeat their purpose.

The fix is easy – no air gaps! Completely sealing the space where materials meet with caulking and making sure that no holes are allowed will help decrease air gaps substantially. They can’t be eliminated completely, but the less there are, the better.

Bridging

Bridging, or more formally thermal bridging, can best be described by the phrase “taking the path of least resistance.” Air temperature will travel through the areas of a roof or wall with the least R-value, providing a “bridge” for the hot or cool air to reach the inside of the building. This may seem a bit confusing. An example from Green Building Advisor will help:

“Suppose your walls have 6″ fiberglass batts… Every 16 inches on center in that wall is a 2×6 or 2×4 stud. The fiberglass has an R-value of around 3.5 per inch, and the stud is around R-1.2 per inch. The wood studs allow heat to flow through the wall assembly at a rate that is 3 times faster than the heat flow through the surrounding insulation. While the advertised R-value for a 6-inch fiberglass batt is R-19, the building assembly’s effective R-value is about R-3 lower.”

What a bummer! How do we fix this? A few options are available: use advanced framing techniques to limit the number of studs, install insulation between the studs and the inside or outside surface to break the bridge, or use alternative building materials that do not require the use of studs, such as straw bale or SIPS (structural insulated panels).

Putting It Together

R-value isn’t the only characteristic to consider when choosing building materials, but it can play an important role in improving the energy efficiency of a building. Wall and roof assemblies should be evaluated at their weakest point, and steps taken to combat the infiltration of air or temperature whenever possible. Purchasing efficient windows and doors will also help improve efficiency.

Photos courtesy of Depositphotos.

What Is R-Value and Why Is It Important?

R-value is a measurement of how much a building material protects one side from the heat or cold on the other side. A higher R-value means that a material insulates better than one with a lower value.

*R-Value affects the amount of heat lost through walls, doors, and windows*

What Is R-Value?

In order to get an idea of what these values are, here are a few examples of common building materials and their R-values:

1/2″ drywall – 0.45
1/2″ plywood – 0.62
4″ wide brick – 0.80
1″ of concrete – 0.52
Single pane of glass – 0.91
2″ insulated metal door – 2.00

R-Value of Building Insulation

Building insulation has different R-values depending on the type of material being used and the thickness of the material. Insulation made from different materials is used in different areas of a building, and is designed to be used in many types of construction.

*Roll of fiberglass insulation material*

Here are a few common types of building insulation:

Fiberglass – This is the most common material used in residential construction, and it is made up of blown glass threads that are either matted together into batts or distributed loosely. The fiberglass batts are either stuffed into the spaces between the studs in the exterior walls of a building, or they may be laid down on the bottom of an attic space. Other forms of fiberglass insulation, such as loose fill or boards, are used in other locations, such as a basement or crawl space. Fiberglass insulation comes in a wide range of R-values, most commonly from R-11 to R-38.

Foam – Spray foam insulation is made by mixing two chemicals (isocyanate and polyol resin, if you are interested) that react to create foam that expands to fill the space it is placed in. It can be shot into spaces through small access holes, making installation in retrofit projects easier than standard batts. There are two types of spray foam – open and closed cell – with closed cell being the most dense and therefore having a higher R-value. Foam averages R-5 to R-6 per inch, compared to R-2 to R-4 per inch of fiberglass.

Recycled denim – Blue jeans and other denim products are shredded and the cotton fibers are woven together to form batts, similar to standard fiberglass insulation. The denim used to produce this insulation is post-consumer, so it removes products from the waste stream and repurposes them. Denim batts provide slightly better R-values than similar thicknesses of fiberglass.

What Does It Mean?

So, why is all this important? R-value is an additive property, meaning that by layering several materials on top of one another, the insulating value of the assembly will be the sum of the individual products. For example, a wall made up of a sheet of drywall, R-11 insulation, and a sheet of plywood would have a total R-value of 12.07 (0.45 + 11.00 + 0.62). Think of it as adding multiple blankets of varying thicknesses and materials to keep warm.

There are a few more things to consider when determining how insulating a structure is, but for the most part, the higher R-value the building shell has, the easier it is to heat and cool and less energy is needed to keep it that way. Of course, there are things like doors and windows that don’t insulate as well or let in outside air, lowering the insulating ability of the building.

When designing a new structure or remodel project, it is important to try to increase the R-value of as much of the exterior walls, roof, and floor as possible. A well-insulated building is more energy efficient and less expensive to heat and cool.

Photos courtesy of Depositphotos.

Construction Contract Clauses to Watch Out For

Construction contracts can be complicated documents and should be reviewed by legal counsel before signing. They are filled with clauses that attempt to protect the party creating the document. There are some specific clauses that contractors and subcontractors should pay attention to before signing, as they can lead to disputes down the road.

Construction contracts can be complicated documents and should be reviewed by legal counsel before signing. They are filled with clauses that attempt to protect the party creating the document. There are some specific construction contract clauses that contractors and subcontractors should pay attention to before signing, as they can lead to disputes down the road.

Scope and Price Definition

One of the primary purposes of writing a contract is to define the work to be done and set the price for that work. It is important to review the scope of work and price as listed in the contract. Often the contract will provide for a broader interpretation of the work involved, such as requiring work that may be implied or inferred from the drawings and/or specifications.

Also check the pricing, making sure that items such as taxes, bonds, insurance, permits, and other fees are included or not included as per the proposal. It is important to note that just attaching the proposal to the contract document does not incorporate it into the contract. It must be explicitly mentioned in the contract language to be considered as part of the terms of the agreement.

Owner Contract Clauses

Often the contract with a subcontractor will include a reference to the owner contract, tying the subcontractor to the terms of that agreement. Language like this is included in the AIA’s subcontractor/contractor contract, Form A401. Subcontractors should request to review the owner contract with the general contractor before signing such contracts. Clauses that can be subject to this flow-down language include termination clauses, claims procedures, indemnification clauses, and dispute resolution clauses. Subcontractors should be aware of the terms they are agreeing to.

Payment Clauses

Payment clauses should always be reviewed carefully so contractors are familiar with the requirements for payment. Pay-when-paid and pay-if-paid clauses can cause issues. Pay-when-paid clauses state that a subcontractor’s invoice becomes due when the general contractor receives payment from the owner. Pay-if-paid clauses state that subcontractors will be paid only if the owner pays the general contractor. This passes the risk for owner non-payment to the subcontractor. Either way, subcontractors need to review payment terms and know when payment will be made.

Delay Clauses

In reviewing delay clauses, watch for language that doesn’t allow for recovery of costs related to project delays. Most contracts will allow for a schedule extension, but not necessarily recovery of costs. Check state laws to see about the enforceability of these clauses in your state. Federal contracts allow for recovery of costs if the delay was caused by the federal agency.

Summing Up

Construction contracts are complicated, and it is important that the parties read them before signing to make sure there are no hidden risks. The construction contract clauses mentioned above can lead to issues down the road, so getting clarity on what they mean and how they apply to your company is critical. Always seek legal counsel, before signing, if you have any concerns.

Source: Supplementary Conditions

Photo: DepositPhotos

Is It Illegal to Not Have a Safety Committee?

In at least 16 states in the U.S., the answer could be yes. These states have various requirements, based on the number of employees and a company’s loss record, that may make it illegal for a company not to have a safety committee.

Alabama
California
Connecticut
Maine
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Oregon
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Vermont
Washington

*Please check with your state to verify requirements, as laws may change.

How to Start a Safety Committee

With this information in mind, employers need to know how to set up and run a safety committee. Here’s how in four easy steps:

Select or elect committee members. There should be representatives from all departments, divisions, and supervision levels. Company management, or someone with the authority to authorize expenses and decisions for management, should also be represented. Members can be volunteers or selected by workers. Membership in the committee should be on a regular rotation, with workers rotating on and off on a schedule. A chairperson should be elected, and someone should take minutes and they should be typed up for permanent records.
Schedule and hold an initial meeting. At this meeting the committee will determine when and how often they will meet (usually not less than once a month), discussing and prioritizing the duties of the committee, and determining if any subcommittees need to be started.
Responsibilities of the committee may include developing the company’s written safety plan, providing training for committee members and other workers, inspections, incident reviews or investigations, assessing the effectiveness of the safety program and the committee, engaging specialists or speakers, approving safety purchasers, and developing procedures.
Continue to hold regular meetings and make minutes available to all employees. Keep a file or notebook with meeting minutes, inspection checklists, investigations, etc. This information may be required and asked for if there is an incident or investigation.

The goal of a safety committee is to help keep all employees at a company safe and healthy while at work. It is a chance for management to show employees that safety is a priority. While it may be a legal requirement in some states, it is a good business practice for all companies.

Photo: DepositPhotos