How to Minimize
Waste
Building material
conservation starts with building design. For example, all common construction
materials come in standard sizes. Lumber is available in 2 ft. steps
for length. Steel is available in common lengths up to about 20 ft.
Virtually all wood panel materials and rigid insulation boards are made
in 4 by 8 ft. sheets. Gypsum board is also readily available in sheet
lengths of 9 to 15 ft.. Designing with common, modular dimensions and
specifying building systems that precisely fit the module is a first
step in materials conservation.
Modular design for
wood frame construction is usually based on a 2 ft. grid; steel frame
construction commonly uses a 5 ft. grid. Pre-cast concrete products,
such as beams and hollow planks, are usually made in standard dimensions
that the design must be precisely adapted to. Pre- manufactured building
panels often have waste reduction merit, especially where many repeated
elements are used. The panel manufacturer can purchase and cut material
precisely, and recycle waste efficiently. Panel construction can save
substantial amounts of wood while making better buildings because the
inherent strength and insulating value of panels can be exploited.
Optimum Value Engineering
is the practice of building frame structures with carefully aligned
framing using engineered wood products such as “I” section
wood joists and trusses. This provides optimum strength using the minimum
amount of materials. The National Association of Home Builders has built
research houses that demonstrate that this type of construction can
save more than $1 per square foot in framing material costs.
Cautions
- Consult the structural
engineer, building contractor and assembly manufacturers early to
determine the most effective and efficient construction method for
complex designs.
- Seismic design
will often determine which systems are most resource-efficient in
Santa Monica.
