City Achieves Silver Leed Certification On Convention Center
Continuing its efforts to lead by example, the City of Raleigh has outpaced even its own goals, attaining Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification the new Raleigh Convention Center.
When the building was conceived, the City sought simply to attain LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council. LEED certification distinguishes building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability by meeting the highest performance standards.
"This entire process starts in the design stage," said Dan Pruitt, senior project manager with Barnhill Construction. "LEED ratings were always part of the consideration. As we moved forward with the project, we realized that we had accumulated enough points that Silver was a reachable goal. I think it's a credit to the entire team, from the design staff to the City of Raleigh and to the project managers, that this building has this recognition."
The LEED effort included promoting an energy-efficient design, recycling building materials, and designating the building as being smoke-free for visitors and employees. The certification process outlines a number of available points awarded for promoting environmentally friendly building concepts. By identifying and adopting those concepts, the City earned points which qualified the building for the Silver rating. During the design phase, the design team, the contract management team, and City staff began identifying cost-effective measures that earned the project the requisite point totals.
"With good management, these measures offset a lot of costs," Mr. Pruitt said. "The LEED process requires expending some funds, but there are savings in the long term and it's a great accomplishment."
All successfully designed sustainable buildings recognize and incorporate the three R's - reduce reuse, and recycle in the facility. The Raleigh Convention Center has many examples of these key "green" facets, including:
Brownfield Redevelopment: The excavation of the west block of the convention center site included the environmental remediation by Progress Energy of a former manufactured gas plant which was located at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Cabarrus and McDowell streets. When these plants were closed, surface structures were demolished and the sites were then covered and graded. Due to the age of the plant, which operated from the late 1870s until 1914, the original gasholder foundations existed below grade. Common abandonment practices of the day often involved backfilling of demolition debris and soil into these structures without removal of the residuals. The remediation work included removal and environmentally appropriate disposal of the contaminated soil. Additionally, the remnant of a former gasoline station on the east block of the site (at the corner of Salisbury and Lenoir streets) were removed with soil and groundwater remediation performed;
Water Recycling: The Skanska Barnhill joint venture implemented a plan to recycle the water at the construction site for the 500,000-square-foot convention center. Water from the dewatering process and other construction activity was pumped into sediment ponds for holding and eventual reuse. Recycled water was used for caisson drilling operations, truck tire washdown and dust control on the site. An average of 55,000 gallons of water was used at the site each day. In all, the water-recycling plan saved the use of several million gallons of water from the City of Raleigh's system. An estimated 4.8 million gallons of water was kept out of the City's sewer system because of the recycling, according to Skanska-Barnhill;
Building Demolition Recycling: In an effort to keep usable materials out of the landfill, contractors for Raleigh's new downtown convention center recycled debris generated by construction of the facility;
The construction team contracted with D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. to demolish four buildings on the new convention center construction site on Salisbury Street and McDowell Street. As part of the agreement, D.H. Griffin recycled debris from the demolition that had an estimated value of $8,000. The materials were recycled at D.H. Griffin's recycling facility.
In addition to the cost savings, demolition of the four buildings produced 239 tons of debris. Of that, 198 tons -- or 83 percent -- were recycled by D.H. Griffin. The remaining 41 tons were non-recyclable materials. The 198 tons of recycled materials consisted of 135 tons of junk metal and steel and 63 tons of concrete, block and brick. The construction manager developed and implemented a construction waste management program during the construction phase which was very successful in diverting waste materials from the landfill;
Water Efficiency: Throughout the facility, water conserving plumbing fixtures reduce water consumption;
Energy Efficiency: A highly efficient heating ventilating and air condition (HVAC) system was installed that reduces energy consumption by 20 percent and reduces the use of ozone depleting equipment. A computerized building management system monitors the HVAC system for more efficiency. To maintain the indoor air quality during and after construction, the air-handling vents were covered to prevent dust and debris from entering the system. To further reduce energy consumption, the lighting fixtures in the administrative and support areas use energy efficient T-8 lamps. In addition, metal halide light fixtures are used in the exhibit hall and lobbies to provide a very efficient light source. The use of light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures in accent lights, exit signs, exterior area lighting and street lights reduces energy usage. The LED fixtures not only use less energy than conventional lighting but also last much longer and will need less frequent replacement. The Convention Center's restrooms are equipped with occupancy sensors to turn off the light when not occupied. A light dimming system is in place for the exhibit hall, ballroom and meeting rooms to reduce energy costs;
Building Envelope Efficiency: Energy efficient exterior wall and roofing system with heat transfer rating exceeding American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) energy standards were used. The construction of the exhibit hall function below street-level grade reduces summer heat gains and winter heat losses. The air-handling units are supplied with variable frequency drives that allow them to use less energy when cooling needs are low by operating the fans at reduced speeds. The gas-fired hot water boilers heating efficiencies exceed requirements of energy use according to ASHRAE standards;
Indoor Air Quality: To promote healthy indoor air quality, this facility has been designated a non-smoking facility. Additionally, the design team specified the use of low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitting finish materials, carpet, paint, adhesives, and sealants that reduce the indoor air pollution. VOCs are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the surrounding air and are an irritant to some people; and,
Green Cleaning Principles: The convention center maintenance staff is trained on "green" cleaning procedures and environmentally friendly cleaning products that are used to help keep the building "green" and the indoor environment clean.
The Silver certification also helps market the building. According to Laurie Okun, director of sales and marketing, there are specific niche convention market segments that focus on environmentally friendly efforts and that seek out well-designed, eco-friendly buildings.
"The certification is huge added value in the context of the center's proximity to the Research Triangle Park and (North Carolina State University's) Centennial Campus," Ms. Okun said. "With the cutting-edge technology and energy solutions that are being developed there every day, this certification highlights our commitment to sustainability. It also shows that we are in syncopation with the leading environmental and architectural studies programs at our local academic institutions as well as the City of Raleigh's leading sustainable initiatives that include required LEED certification for new and expansion projects."
Prepared by:
David Blount
Public Affairs Specialist
Public Affairs Department
For More Information Contact:
Laurie Okun
Sales Manager
Convention and Conference Center Department
500 S. Salibury
Raleigh, NC 27610
919-996-8500
