Going Green
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
By going green with LEED certification, there are both environmental and financial benefits. LEED certification helps to: lower operating costs and increase asset value, reduce waste sent to landfills, conserve energy and water, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentives in hundreds of cities.
What is LEED?
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It is a building rating system created under the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to ensure greater environmentally and socially responsible action by encouraging the construction of green buildings. LEED provides building owners and operators with a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. It is an internationally recognized building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most.
These metrics include: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. Obtaining LEED certification brings many financial and environmental rewards. For example, LEED certification lowers operating costs, increases asset value, allows for qualification of tax rebates, zoning allowances and other financial incentives. Environmentally, LEED certification helps conserve energy, reduce harmful greenhouse emissions, minimize waste sent to landfills and shows your commitment to environmental sustainability.
What does it take to get LEED certified?
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED building rating system is flexible with all types of commercial and residential buildings. Eligibility for LEED qualification consists of following a LEED Rating System Checklist that contributes to your specific project tally point total. Once all tally project prerequisites exceed the minimum number of points necessary to meet the Certified Level, LEED certification is granted. LEED applies to the entire building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fit out, and significant retrofit. LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves.
LEED levels and classes
When it comes to LEED classes, there are four. In LEED 2009 the threshold levels for LEED certification are:
Certified: 40 – 49 Points
Silver: 50 – 59 Points
Gold: 60 – 79 Points
Platinum: 80 or more Points
The LEED certification rating process is explained in complete detail in the Reference Guides issued for each of the LEED rating systems as well as on line at www.usgbc.org.
Minimizing your LEED certification costs
The cost of LEED certification depends on a variety of factors, including the type of certification desired, the project demographics and characteristics, grant availability and the experience of the LEED design team. Another important factor that can save you money is selecting the right stage of the design process to seek LEED certification. Universal Modular Building Solutions works hard to ensure costs are minimized while maintaining quality.
Conclusion
There are many benefits available to you when you build green. You can save both time and money by acting now. Universal Modular is able and willing to help you with LEED certification. As the US Green Building Council and the LEED building rating system continues to evolve, we encourage you to visit www.usgbc.org/ and www.gbci.org regularly to obtain the latest information on the LEED family of rating systems.
Modular in Motion
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Italian architect Dr. David Fisher announced the launch of a revolutionary skyscraper to be built in Dubai titled as the "World’s First Building in Motion.” This soon to be 1,380 foot (a quarter mile) high skyscraper is planned to first open in 2010 in Dubai with additional Dynamic Towers planned for Moscow, New York City and other cities around the world. Fisher’s rotating creation has more to it than what initially meets the eye. Not only will the 80-story movable building constantly overlook the changing views of the Persian Gulf and Dubai’s futuristic skyline, but it will also be entirely self-sustainable and very eco friendly. In order to remain environmentally conscious and financially efficient, Fisher will utilize the very best in modular building technology.
Each floor will be prefabricated in a state-of-the-art factory and then shipped to the site to be attached to the building’s core. By using such sophisticated technology, Fisher’s assembling of the quarter-mile high skyscraper will require only 80 technicians and take only 20 months, saving tens of millions of dollars. With Dubai’s unique implementation of modular building construction, modular technology has proven that it is entirely advantageous and that it is the future of building construction. Growth has been substantial within this last decade and a new “modular revolution” has sparked interest not only as an alternative but as an international trend. The modular building industry has been growing fast. According to Tom Hardiman, executive director of the Modular Building Institute, the trade organization for the commercial modular industry, commercial modular construction is a $5 billion a-year industry with permanent modular structures making up approximately $2 billion of that annual number.
Advantages
Modular building construction is now universally accepted as being the fastest, most cost-effective method of construction with the least liability and waste. The modular building industry is usually thought of as being divided into two segments: temporary modular structures and permanent modular structures. Temporary modular structures have been around for decades. They are the typical rectangle, re-locatable structures you have probably seen either at construction sites or on school grounds. They include buildings such as construction trailers, mobile classrooms, movable offices and other portable structures for short term use. On the contrary, permanent modular structures encompass a variety of categories.
They too, however, are segmented into two groups: commercial modular and residential modular. Commercial modular buildings include: government, military, correctional, healthcare, medical and private business while residential modular are mostly comprised of pre-fabricated and custom-designed houses and housing complexes. When comparing modular interfaces with conventional construction, it is quite clear that when going modular – the advantages simply outweigh the disadvantages many times over. There are a number of very important advantages modular has over conventional methods. Some of these advantages include:
Cash Savings
Modular construction controls cost by economizing on time, wages, materials and the environment. Assembly line efficiencies combined with pre-fabricated materials allow for the production of a high quality product at a lower bottom line cost. The actual dollars spent for the building may be the same or slightly less than site built construction. However the cost advantage usually will come in the form of time because “time is money”. When contracting with Universal Modular Inc., contractors will save money through reduced material and labor costs, unnecessary project delays and a faster a construction time.
Time Savings
One of the most important factors of construction is meeting deadlines. Where time is money, modular construction proves to be the preferred method of choice. Tom Hardiman, executive director of the Modular Building Institute, suggests that customers experience an average time savings of 20 to 40 percent when using modular construction over conventional methods. As project sites are completed much faster, contractors save time and money through: reduction of interest payments, expedient design-build processes, simultaneous site construction, and faster reaction to market demand.
Controlled Environment
Roughly 70-88% of modular construction is produced in a controlled, in-house factory environment. This eliminates unnecessary anxiety and costs contributed to poor weather conditions and time delays. Once completed, pre-fabricated materials are shipped on trucks and then assembled at the site of construction.
Function and Aesthetics
Universal Modular Inc. believes that every modular building should incorporate good design and functionality. Modular designs have come a long way. By working with architects, engineers and management, Universal Modular Inc., can leverage high quality aesthetic design and functionality at an affordable price.
Safety and Security
While working in construction, everyone knows that safety and security is of the upmost importance. Modular construction greatly reduces worker liability concerns through in-house pre-fabrication and installment of construction materials. At Universal Modular Inc., the process is made simple – contractors tell us what they need and we work together to exceeding their expectations in a safe and reliable process.
Conclusion
By reviewing the advantages of modular construction, it is clear that modular construction is not only financially, timely, and ecologically logical – it is the future. Looking back, commercial modular buildings have come a long way just within these past 20 years. In the 1980’s, it was very difficult to find a crane to lift over 100 tons for structural lifting and shipping. Today, the only true limit for modular is the imagination of man. In just 20 months time, the world will soon see the first rotating skyscraper completed through the application of the latest technology in modular building construction. A story from science fiction or a modular revolution? You decide. Let Universal Modular Building Solutions, Inc., give you a free modular building quote today!
MCB Camp Pendleton, CA
MCB Camp Pendleton is a 5,000 square foot modular facility for base facilities operations staff. Project scope includes installing modular building on asphalt parking lot, then supplying and installing complete telephone system, internal data wiring, fire and intrusion alarm systems. This project is under construction and will be completed mid February 2009.
Lockheed Martin
CCS Program for the USMC/ Camp Lejeune, NC
Two buildings will be installed on the same site. These buildings were designed and built for simulated combat convoy missions. Each building is approximately 5,500 square feet and features a full 12′ floor to ceiling height to allow for head clearance for the roof gunner on the vehicles. The buildings are constructed using a steel structure for the floor, walls and ceiling. Wall coverings are taped and painted drywall in each theatre and vinyl clad drywall in all other areas. The buildings are designed to meet 135MPH winds.
A Modular Project
Modular buildings are far from one-size-fits-all. Each site and client requires the application of a unique design solution. It takes a design team with modular engineering experience and a deep understanding of the modular building industry to address all of the needs specific to a project, including the design, foundation, and state-specific structural requirements. A modular project needs a modular engineer.
The Naval Reactor Facility
The facility, a government installation, wasn’t your everyday design-build. The project—a two-story modular building slated for construction on the grounds of a nuclear reactor facility—presented challenges up and down the line. It took a unique blend of industry experience, out-of-the-box thinking, and the ability to respond to changing needs quickly and efficiently to pull it off on time.
Putting together a team for this project was the first task. Satellite Shelters, Inc. had received the contract to build a two-story commercial modular structure on a government-owned site in the Western states. The client wanted the building up fast, so Satellite brought Modtech on board, a well-known modular manufacturer. Modtech in turn hired Ralph Tavares of R&S Tavares as the structural engineer to ensure that the project was exactly as it should be.
R&S has the expertise to design for the complex needs of modular buildings. They provided the structural engineering and design of the two-story modular building, the specifications for the permanent foundation system, and the design of important site features such as the elevator shaft and pit, walkways and canopies. In addition, they designed the braced frames and open web trusses on both floors, and saw the project through construction on time and on budget.
“I’ve worked with Ralph since about 2000,” says Rick Bartolotti, former Vice President of Modtech. “He’s well known as somebody who understands modular—there aren’t many engineers who do.” This project was more complex than usual, and the design had to be “perfect” from an engineering standpoint to satisfy the client.
Experience was key to the success of this project. Two-story modular buildings for commercial use are not the norm. “Schools, apartments and hotels are more typical” of the kinds of modular projects that usually get built, says Bartolotti. With the Army Corps of Engineers (A.C.E.) reviewing every step of the process with their “very stringent specifications,” the project had to be engineered correctly.
“The A.C.E. were pretty tough customers,” Bartolotti admits, “so we really had to cross all our Ts and dot all our Is.” Clients sometimes overreact to modular design procedures because they don’t fully understand how modular works. Part of R&S Tavares’ job was to reassure the client that the modular design-build process was not in any way inferior to a site build. It is, in fact, faster, more efficient, and less expensive assuming you have an experienced team behind you.
R&S Tavares came up with the structural plan and had it approved immediately, but when a subcontractor installed the building without performing the welding correctly, R&S was able to come up with a quick and efficient fix on the fly. When the second story over the entrance was changed mid-project to be site-built instead of part of the factory-built modular design, R&S was able to coordinate with everyone on site to integrate the new entrance into the overall design. “Problems happen, and Ralph’s a problem solver,” Bartolotti says. “He gets things done right.”
Working with R&S
Though the two R&S offices are in California, they provide professional services to modular building manufacturers, modular building dealers and architectural firms in the United States and Canada with licenses in 41 U.S states. That kind of scope can make a huge difference when deciding which company to employ. “R&S has the capability to execute multi-state projects,” says Randy Rebers, Vice President of Sales at Satellite Shelters, Inc. “Many engineers can only stamp in their own states. Their ability to stamp the designs for the vast majority of states is very valuable to us because we work in many different regions.”
R&S has specific and extensive experience in structural and building design for commercial and residential modular structures in all fifty states. New York state and the Gulf states have high wind design requirements and specific lateral force design challenges, thanks to the hurricane-force winds likely to hit those shores. The approvals in those states can be tough to achieve, but R&S has an excellent record with the design approval process in that area. California, with West Coast seismic issues, can be a difficult state to design in, but R&S has a good track record there as well. The success of the Idaho project led Modtech to hire R&S to design a standard structural package for two-story commercial buildings for use in California, Arizona, and Florida.
With so many years experience in the modular industry, it would be easy for R&S Tavares’s engineers and staff members to sit back and rest on their combined sixty years staff experience in modular design, but the changing nature of the business keeps the firm learning and growing. They understand the customer’s needs and know how to focus on the goal of creating a structure that works well within the client’s specifications. “We’re designing boxes,” Tavares jokes, “but we always think outside of the box.”
“The Idaho project was our first job with R&S,” says Rebers at Satellite. “We found them more than willing to work with the specific needs of our client, and very available to answer questions we had about the implementation of the design.”
“Ralph understands the overall process, from beginning to end,” says Bartolotti at Modtech. “Where other engineers get focused on the minutiae, he takes a broader view.” Where others might tend to over-engineer a project, R&S has the experience to grasp the complexity while at the same time hold back a little and let the simplicity of the design come through.
“Not a lot of engineering companies are willing to work with modular,” says Tavares. His company works with the knowledge that a complete understanding of modular design and construction can save the client time and money. “We look at modular as a challenge,” he says. “Whether a project is big or small, we look at the whole building and make it all work together.”
“Any time I have any kind of engineering problems, he’s the one I go to,” Bartolotti says. “He’s always willing to help me out, even if my question relates to a project on which he is not the engineer. I really appreciate that kind of availability.”
Rick Bartolotti
Universal Modular Building Solutions
760-645-3226
www.umodular.com
Ralph Tavares
Principal, R&S Tavares
858-444-3344 x101
www.rstavares.com
Randy Rebers
VP of Sales, Satellite Shelters, Inc.
763-551-7285
www.satelliteco.com
Ron Savona
Senior VP, Modtech Holdings
951-943-4014
www.modtech.com
