Throughout construction, as long as they remain standing, and when they are eventually razed buildings consume resources and generate waste. According to the National Institute of Building Sciences, buildings account for a substantial percentage of several key environmental impacts in the U.S.

Initiatives such as Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory’s Commercial Building Systems Group are intent on lessening that impact. The Group “focuses on the development of advanced computer-based building design tools that assist the architect or engineer in decision making from early, schematic design through building construction, commissioning and operation.” Their efforts have already yielded software, guidelines, demonstration projects and other tools to help “integrate a variety of isolated building technologies into complete systems that allow for compounded energy efficiency and an increased building life cycle.”

The U. S. National Institute of Building Sciences’ Whole Building Design Guide puts the cost of building operations and maintenance at three times the cost of initial construction. Fuel, capital replacement of building systems, and demolition and disposal all impose additional costs. Planning that takes these long-term costs into account helps improve the bottom line throughout the entire life cycle.

The Global Development Research Center based in Japan states that buildings have been traditionally analyzed according to their individual components and optimized separately. In contrast, lifecycle planning takes every stage into account, from design through demolition, “where cost, investor expectations, building function and flexibility, security, occupant productivity and health, environment and social impacts are all considered collectively, and in the long-term.”

Elastomeric Roof Coatings Help Support Environmental Initiatives

Elastomeric roof coatings receive high marks when assessed on environmental benefits.

• First, they are “green” in and of themselves:  water-based and very, very low in VOCs. (Volatile Organic Content materials are solvents/chemicals that can vaporize and contribute to air pollution.)
• Second, their unique characteristics contribute to a more efficient building envelope, helping to optimize the performance and longevity of roofing and masonry wall systems.
• From the broader, integrated viewpoint of lifecycle planning, elastomeric roof (and elastomeric wall coatings, as well) take on even greater significance by enhancing sustainability and cost efficiency at each stage of a building’s life cycle.