LEED Standards

LEED-NC (New Construction) is a goal-oriented standard whereby specific areas of building design and construction are set point goals based upon green-oriented goals such as reduced site disturbance, increased energy performance, resource reuse, use of materials local to the site, and the specific recycled content of building materials. The following is required by LEED-NC Version 2.2.

LEED MR Credit 4.1 (1 point)

Use materials with recycled content such that the sum of 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.

LEED MR Credit 4.2 (1 point)

Use materials with recycled content such that the sum of post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of the pre-consumer content constitutes at least 20% (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 them multiplied by the cost of the assembly to determine the recycled content value. Since steel is both the material and the building product, the value of the CFS trusses is directly multiplied by the recycled content, or

Recycled Content Value = (Value of CFS Trusses) (Post-Consumer % + 1/2 Pre-Consumer %)

According to the Steel Recycling Institute, "steel used in structural steel building products, whether produced via the EAF (electric arc furnace) method or the BOF (blast oxygen furnace) method can be used in the LEED calculations to exceed both 5% and 10% goals". Further information on the LEED calculation may be obtained from the USGBC and from the Steel Recycling Institute publication, "Steel Takes LEED with Recycled Content" (see links below).

Recycled Content of TrusSteel™ trusses

TrusSteel trusses are made from 100% US Prime steel, with the following recycled content:
Post-Consumer: 30.9%
Pre-Consumer: 11%

LEED MR Credit 3.1 and 3.2

TrusSteel trusses are made from steel that is 100% recyclable.

LEED MR Credit 5.1 and 5.2 - Use of Regional Materials

Since local Authorized Fabricators build TrusSteel trusses, the use of TrusSteel may contribute toward earning further LEED points when TrusSteel trusses are considered to be regional materials.

Information Resources

Here are Web sites where you can learn more about the USGBC, calculating LEED percentages and steel recycling:

Steel Framing Alliance  ( recommended read - the SFA's latest bulletin, "Steel and the Environment")

U.S. Green Building Council (creators of the LEED standards). Project checklists that list all of the available LEED points are available from the USGBC. TrusSteel is a member of the USGBC.

Steel Recycling Institute (look under "LEED" Certification to find the publication, "Steel Takes LEED with Recycled Content")

American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)