Paints - epoxy covering: car parks pavements

IEQc4 VOC limits only apply to products used within a building’s weatherproof enclosure. Therefore, if your covered parking area is open to the outside air, IEQc4 VOC limits do not apply to these pavement-marking paints. On the other hand, if your parking area is totally enclosed and protected from the elements, you must follow VOC regulations set forth in SCAQMD Rule 1113-2004. This rule sets a VOC limit of 150 g/L for “Traffic Coatings” that are “formulated for or applied to public streets, highways, and other surfaces including, but not limited to, curbs, berms, driveways, and parking lots.”

For LEED IEQc4.2, VOC content must be calculated using methods defined in the SCAQMD Rule 1113-2004 definition for “Grams of VOC per Liter of Coating, Less Water and Less Exempt Compounds.” In particular, read the special method for coatings that contain “Reactive Diluents,” products, such as epoxies, that contain VOCs “which, through chemical and/or physical reaction, such as polymerization, becomes an integral part of the coating.” This method calculates the VOC content of the product AFTER the components have been mixed and catalyzed. Contact coating manufacturers. Their chemists should be able to perform VOC calculations according to SCAQMD methods. EU methods appear to differ from SCAQMD. Finally, as stated previously, LEED-2009 VOC restrictions do not apply to products applied outside the building’s weatherproof enclosure.

Also note that the EU Directive’s definition of VOC appears to differ from SCAQMD’s definition (“Any volatile compound of carbon, excluding methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides or carbonates, ammonium carbonate, and exempt compounds”). Since the two standards appear to use differing definitions of VOC and differing methods of measuring g/L VOC content, it is unlikely that EU’s g/L VOC designations correspond to SCAQMD’s. For SCAQMD definitions of “VOC” & “Exempt Compounds,” see SQAQMD Rule 102: http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/rule-book/reg-i/rule-102-definition-of-terms.pdf?sfvrsn=4

See Dwayne Fuhlhage's excellent June 19 post on the Core & Shell IEQc4.2 page: http://www.leeduser.com/credit/CS-2009/IEQc4.2#comment-50943

Your underground parking lot is not heated or air-conditioned, is it? If you only provide ventilation and the garage is open to the outdoors at all times, your garage may be exempt from IEQc4. Underground parking garages that are “inside the exterior moisture protection envelope,” but “not technically interior space,” are exempt from IEQc4 because they are “unconditioned, non-regularly occupied space.” See LEED Interpretation #1767: http://www.usgbc.org/leed-interpretations?keys=1767 If you have issues inside your building reconciling differences between EU & SCAQMD VOC standards & limits, you might heed Dwayne’s recommendation to submit an official inquiry asking GBCI how to address the conflicts.

Although SCAQMD has the "Traffic Coating" category, I cannot see that option in the LEED Letter Template (Canadian). Can I still somehow use this category as this is the most suitable category in my situation. The product is used within the inboard side of the weatherproofind system).   Thank you!