FSC lagging?

Ryan, can you give more detail on what application the lagging is being used in? That term can mean a couple different things, to my knowledge.

I am not sure about Ryan, but I have same question specifically regarding lagging (or timber sheeting) used in support of excavation systems. It remains in the ground but is only used temporarily from a construction standpoint, and technically it is not part of the "building components" referenced in the credit description. The requirement for FSC lagging seems to vary widely among project types and LEED consultants that I have encountered. Does lagging in this sense need to be accounted for in the FSC-wood calculations for MR credit 7? I have not found a CIR for this anywhere- if there is one, please point me in the right direction.

Hi Chris - That one definitely falls in a grey area. I am not aware of an interpretation that clarifies this issue, however there may be one out there. I would expect this question from an NC project, not a CI project. So I would answer from that perspective as this is about the base building construction - right? The LEED NC V2009 MR 7 credit says to "Use...wood-based materials and products....for wood building components. These components include at a minimum, structural framing and general dimensional framing, flooring, sub-flooring, wood doors and finishes. Include only materials permanently installed in the project. Wood products purchased for temporary use on the project (e.g., formwork, bracing, scaffolding, sidewalk protection, and guard rails) may be included in the calculation at the project team’s discretion." The language outlines "components" to "include at a minimum", thus the list of included elements is clearly not all encompassing and it outlines structural and dimensional wood -- the lagging tends to fall towards those categories. Also, the overarching language in the V2009 BC+C Reference Guide Calculation section is to include "all new wood products." Thus including new wood is the default, with exceptions (such as temporary wood). This language leans towards including the lagging since it is presumably new wood and it never leaves the project site once it arrives, Also, in this case, I would split hairs over the credit language "in the project" and "on the project". The lagging is permanently installed "in" the LEED project (in this case, presumably, the lagging is permanently and literally installed within the LEED boundary) and, as noted above, it is not temporarily "on the project" like formwork, barricades and the other examples cited in the credit langauge. These items are frequently reused from project to project, the lagging is used only on this project, permanently. This language also leans towards including the lagging in the calculation. Sorry for the long post, but this one definitely needs some parsing. Best, Doug