OOLITIC, IN -- Stone from the quarries of Indiana Limestone Co. can aid architects, designers and contractors in creating buildings that achieve LEED certification. Furthermore, the company's expertise in LEED design and construction enables ILCO personnel to assist in the design of qualifying buildings.
According to Stephen DiRaffaele, ILCO regional sales manager for the New York metropolitan area, the selection of the firm's limestone can earn LEED credits in nine different categories. Depending on the details of a given project, any of the following credits may be supported.
- Credit 7.1: Heat Island Effect-Non-Roof - A requirement under the sustainability criteria for this credit is that materials be light colored, with a solar reflectance index greater than 29. Indiana limestone qualifies.
- EA credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance - The reflective character of Indiana limestone also helps it reduce a structure's heating and cooling costs.
- MR credits 1.1 & 1.2: Building Reuse - If projects entail reusing existing structures, buildings may qualify for this credit if 75% to 95% of existing walls, floors and roofs are retained, as is often possible with Indiana limestone structures.
- MR credits 2.1 & 2.2: Construction Waste Management - Structures including Indiana limestone may make it possible to divert 50% to 75% of construction waste from disposal, as specifications for this credit require.
- MR credits 3.1 & 3.2: Materials Reuse - Specifications for this credit require that 5% to 10% of materials be reusable through salvage or other types of reuse, percentages often met when Indiana limestone is used in construction.
- MR Credits 5.1 & 5.2: Regional Materials - Materials originating within 500 miles of a job site must be used for at least 10% of a project under the specifications for this credit. For vast sections of the American heartland, Indiana limestone lies well within this radius.
- ID Credit 1: Innovative Design - Indiana limestone has a proven record of contributing to innovative green design, and can well be part of a project that earns this credit.
- LEED Canada Credit 8: Durable Building - Along any of three possible compliance paths, Indiana limestone has the potential to contribute to earning this credit.
"LEED is transforming the way people think about how buildings and communities are designed, constructed, maintained and operated across the globe," said DiRaffaele. "Because it's extracted with relative ease, Indiana limestone adds little to the already low energy inputs of its workability. Indiana limestone has shown that it withstands the test of time and when decommissioned can be reused or returned harmlessly to the earth."
