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How is construction waste accounted for when utilizing off-site construction, like modular construction or pre-fabrication of assemblies?

How does MRc2 work for projects pursuing a campus approach, or any project where waste management will be shared with other construction projects?

Can materials that have been unused and returned to the manufacturer as part of a “take-back” program contribute to the credit?

Should I include hazardous material such as lead-based paint in MRc2 calculations?

Should household-type trash from workers' lunches and office use be included in MRc2 diversion and calculations?

Can sending material to waste-to-energy plants count toward MRc2?

The requirements of this credit say that land-clearing debris does not contribute to the percentage of materials diverted from the landfill. What exactly is considered "land clearing debris"?

Oops! Our trash was measured by both weight and volume at different times. How do I standardize this?

The waste management facility we are using is providing us with monthly documentation specific to our waste, showing 80% diversion. They also have a published, facility-wide rate of roughly 20%, and they have no published rate for construction waste. Will

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CS-2009 MRc2:Construction Waste Management

Bentonite mud/sludge

Hi, Bentonite mud used for filling in the foundation phase is normally sent to special landfills as hazardous waste, thus being excluded from MR2 calculations. However, there is a special treatment that uses flocculation and decantation techniques to separate the mud from the water, and what results is a kind of earth-like material that is accepted by end-use entities as regular excavated soil. In a specific project, this earth-like product is being sent to a site that uses soil as material to fill the land (something like ADC material). My question is: since the product being sent for reuse is a type of earth/soil material, my first hunch is that it would have to be excluded from MR2 calculations. But technically, what should be excluded is "excavated soil" and land-clearing debris, and this material is NOT excavated, despite being a kind of soil; it's a material used in construction. So: CAN we include this in MR2 calculations as diverted waste, or are we not allowed to? Thank you!

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Tue, 11/08/2011 - 20:37

Paola, you pose an interesting question. I think your first hunch is a little misguided because if the product were used as an ADC-like material at landfills then it would be included in the MRc2 calculation. See Calculations on page 359 of the first version of the BD+C Reference Guide, which states, “Any construction debris processed into a recycled content commodity that has an open-market value (e.g., alternative daily cover material) may be applied to the construction waste calculation.” The product that results after the special treatment is a result of something that your team brought to the site (Bentonite mud), right? If so, then I would say that since you brought it on site, it is earth-like and not soil, and it is definitely not from land-clearing operations, then you should include it in your MRc2 calculations as diverted waste. Please note that in the first and second public comment drafts of LEED 2012 they have finally addressed ADC and are excluding it from counting towards diverted debris. See http://www.leeduser.com/topic/leed-2012-certification-2nd-public-comment-materials-resources-mr-usgbc for more info.

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