I have a number of items used for concrete - Form Release Compounds and Concrete Surface Retarders, as well as Cable pulling Lubricant used by the electricians on my project. There were categories in LEED v2.2 that I was able to list these under, but we no longer have these options on LEED 2009.
What category should I list these items under?
Susan Walter
HDRLEEDuser Expert
1296 thumbs up
April 3, 2013 - 11:38 am
Surface retarders I would put into concrete curing compounds. Cable pulling lubricant isn't a paint or a coating, IMHO. Form release oil, I would recommend a read through the SCAQMD definition section.
Mariah Grife
Walsh Construction11 thumbs up
April 3, 2013 - 6:45 pm
SCAQMD has a line item for Form-Release compounds with a100 g/L limit - but we don't have this option to input in the LEED online worksheet - so I was wondering what I should list this under if the SCAQMD Form-Release compound isn't an option?
Susan Walter
HDRLEEDuser Expert
1296 thumbs up
April 4, 2013 - 4:27 pm
I think a lot of teams skip the form release oil as it is a temporary coating. Generally the forms are stripped long before anything is remotely closed in so the product is fully off gassed. If you need to enter it, I would find another product with a 100 g/L limit and use that. Explain what you did in the narrative section and cite the SCAQMD definition section for the compound limit.
Michelle Rosenberger
PartnerArchEcology
523 thumbs up
April 4, 2013 - 4:32 pm
I agree with Susan. We don't normally include it. If you feel you must, there is always the Other category.
Len Sciarra
architect5 thumbs up
May 31, 2013 - 9:18 am
However, you could use a petroleum based form release agent (federal allowable VOC limit - 450 g/L) or a Bio-Based form release agent (VOC 0 g/L). they work fine, are same cost. just ask and / or spec.
Jon Clifford
LEED-AP BD+CGREENSQUARE
LEEDuser Expert
327 thumbs up
June 15, 2014 - 8:39 am
The 2004 SCAQMD Rule cited by LEED-2009 does not regulate VOCs in Form Release Compound. The 100g/L Form Release VOC limit referred to above comes from newer SCAQMD Rules and do not apply to LEED-2009. Therefore, Form Release can probably be ignored.
However, as Leonard points out, low-VOC form release products are readily available, so there is no reason not to require them.
Finally, the comments above suggest that one can ignore temporary coatings applied early because they are likely to off-gas before the building has been enclosed. Is this the best approach?
I am not a chemist, so I can’t be certain how much time to allow for off-gassing. Also, once a product has been approved, it can be difficult to discontinue its use after the building is weather-tight.
To be safe, treat any coating, adhesive, or sealant applied within what eventually becomes enclosed space as an “interior” product, even if application occurs while the building is still open. This protects the health of workers applying the product and preserves indoor air quality.
Note that the newer SCAQMD Rule & CARB measures used in LEEDv4 DO regulate Form Release VOCs.