Defining Green: The Role of the Building Envelope in Green Building
Proceedings of the RCI Building Envelope Symposium, Atlanta, GA (2008). What does green mean? Why is green important? Who is promoting green? Where will the green building movement go in the future? And most importantly, what does green mean to roofing practitioners? This paper by Center Research Director Dr. Jim Hoff explores these questions and provides helpful suggestions for the roofing and building envelope practitioner.
Measuring Green: Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the Building Envelope: Balancing Durability and Environmental Impact (PDF)
Proceedings of the Symposium on Building Envelope Sustainability, Washington, DC (2009). This paper by Center Research Director Dr. Jim Hoff reviews the relationship between Life Cycle Assessment and product durability and offers suggestions for best industry practices to effectively implement LCA.
Equivalent Uniform Annual Cost: A New Approach to Roof Life Cycle Analysis (PDF)
RCI Interface, January, 2007. Traditional Life Cycle Cost models require products to be compared over the same service life. But what if the design professional needs to compare alternative products with different service lives? This paper by Center Research Director Dr. Jim Hoff demonstrates that Equivalent Uniform Annual Cost (EUAC) provides a simple and compelling answer.
Life Cycle Assessment and The LEED Green Building Rating System (PDF)
Proceedings of the RCI 23rd International Convention, Phoenix, AZ (2008). This paper by Center Research Director Dr. Jim Hoff provides an overview of the LEED Green Building Rating System, with an emphasis on the benefits and challenges of the system from the perspective of the roofing professional.
Recycling Green: New Roof Recycling Opportunities
Recycling of Thermoplastic PVC Roof Membranes (PDF)
RCI Interface, April/May, 2007. This article authored by Center Research Committee Member Stan Graveline provides an excellent overview of recent initiatives regarding the recycling of in-situ PVC roofing membranes.
PVC Roof Recycling (PDF)
Professional Roofing, December, 2007. This article authored by Center Research Committee Member Stan Graveline, provides additional information regarding recent recycling activities involving PVC roofing membranes.
EPDM Group Champions Recycling (PDF)
RSI, April, 2008. This article authored by Center Research Committee Member Ed Kane provides an excellent overview of recent initiatives regarding the recycling of in-situ EPDM roofing membranes.
End of Service Life Recycling of Thermoplastic PVC Roofing Membranes (PDF)
This article authored by Center Research Committee Member Stan Graveline provides an update on the results of a two year technical and market trial in which 5 million square feet of thermoplastic PVC roofing membrane was recycled back into new membrane products. In addition to eliminating landfill disposal and providing decades of additional membrane service life, the program was recognized for its contribution by the Massachusetts Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Sustainable Roof System Options: Vegetated and Water-Retaining Roofs
New Heat Mitigation and Water Retention Concepts to Expand Green Roofing Demand (PDF)
Proceedings of Green Rooftops for Sustainable Communities, Atlanta, GA (2009). The paper by Center Research Director Dr. Jim Hoff provides a brief review of recent research pointing to potential economic and environmental benefits of ballasted roofing systems when used in conjunction with green (vegetated) roofing systems.
Sustainable Roof System Options: Cool Roofs
Cool Roofs: Standards & Options (PDF)
International Roofing Expo, 2008. This presentation by Center Research Director Dr. Jim Hoff reviews current and emerging standards for cool roofing in the United States and identifies the variety of cool roofing options available to the building owner and designer.
Aging and Weathering of Cool Roofing Membranes (PDF)
Proceedings of the Cool Roofing: Cutting Through the Glare Symposium, Atlanta, GA (2005). Aging and weathering can reduce the solar reflectance of cool roofing materials. This paper co-authored by Research Committee Member Stan Graveline summarizes laboratory measurements of the solar spectral reflectance of unweathered, weathered, and cleaned samples collected from single-ply roofing membranes at various sites across the United States.
Hybrid Vegetated / Ballasted Roofs: A "Cool’ Way" to Accelerate Green Roofing Demand (PDF)
Sixth Annual International Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Baltimore MD (2008). This poster session by Center Research Director Jim Hoff explores the opportunity for synergistic benefit by combining vegetated (green) roofs with traditional ballasted roof systems. Potential benefits include cooling
of ambient air temperatures and retention of storm water with an improved return on investment.
The Economics of Cool Roofing: A Local and Regional Approach (PDF)
Proceedings of the Cool Roofing: Cutting Through the Glare Symposium, Atlanta, GA (2005). This study by Center Research Director Jim Hoff provides an overview of the geographic variation in reflective roofing energy savings for over 40 cities in the United States. Also included in the paper is a map of the United States dividing these cities into common geographic bands representing different increments of energy savings.
Sustainable Roof Systems and Durability / Life Cycle Management
Sustainable Buildings: Addressing Long-Term Building Envelope Durability (PDF)
Proceedings of the RCI 24th International Convention, Dallas, TX (2009). This paper by Center Research Director Dr. Jim Hoff examines the concept of durability and its relationship to effective green building assessment. Using examples from the commercial roofing industry, the paper also explores strategies to effectively incorporate consideration of durability into the assessment of buildings and building envelope systems.
Field Investigation and Laboratory Testing of Exposed Poly(vinyl Chloride) Roof Systems (PDF)
This paper co-authored by Research Committee Member Stan Graveline provides a summary of performance test results obtained from thermoplastic PVC roofing samples from 44 different roofs across Europe and North America, ranging in age from 9 to 34 years. Considering the age and the condition of the roofs analyzed, the data suggest that a properly formulated, properly maintained, reinforced PVC roof membrane system may provide “an effective service life in excess of 20 to 30 years in various climates throughout Europe and North America.”
Sustainability of Thermoplastic Vinyl Roofing Membrane Systems (PDF)
International Conference on Building Envelope Systems and Technologies (ICBEST) 2010, Vancouver, Canada. This paper article authored by Center Research Committee Member Stan Graveline provides an evaluation of thermoplastic vinyl roofing membrane systems using the “Tenets of Sustainable Roofing” as developed by The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB-RILEM) as a assessment document.
A Revisionist View on Quality Roof System Design (PDF)
International Conference on Building Envelope Systems and Technologies (ICBEST) 2010, Vancouver, Canada. This paper co-authored by Center Research Committee Member Stan Graveline reviews the process by which designers that venture to achieve quality, sustainable roof systems should approach roof system design in order to achieve a properly functioning and sustainable low slope roof system; a roof system design that takes into consideration all the building elements that impinge upon the roof.
Optimizing Service Life and Sustainability Through Durability Planning (PDF)
Conference on Building Envelope Systems and Technologies (ICBEST) 2010, Vancouver, Canada. This paper co-authored by Center Research Director Dr. Jim Hoff and Center Research Committee Member Ed Kane, advances a process-based approach to address long-term building envelope durability through the use of multi-variable decision matrix. The paper reviews the features and benefits of this matrix approach, including a brief review of the essential durability paradigm, a detailed examination of the key matrix elements and a critical review of the matrix as a whole.