Distributors location for MR c5

For MRc5, only the percentage of a product that has been extracted, harvested, recovered, & manufactured within the required distance qualifies as “Regional”. The Manufacturing Location is the point of final assembly. For rebar, manufacture would include fabricators that cut, bend, bend, galvanize, epoxy-coat, or otherwise modify the bar before shipping it to the construction site. However, if the “distributor” is simply a warehouse or supply facility that holds or ships the product without modifying it, you cannot count this as the “manufacturer”. The intent of MRc5 is to reduce the impact of transporting materials long distances. Therefore, materials that pass through a distributor beyond the 500-mile (800-km) radius may not qualify as “Regional.” On the other hand, considering Chile’s geography, it is likely that many building products travel by sea or rail. An Addendum issued in July 2012 added compliance OPTION 2. As noted in the “Birds-Eye View” at the top of this webpage, “This new option allows you to do a prorated calculation based on the lower relative impact of shipping materials by rail or water.” To use this option, you may be required to provide additional shipping documentation. For current LEED-2009-BD+C Addenda, follow this link: http://www.usgbc.org/sites/default/files/DocumentAddendaRG%20BD+C%2010.01.2013%20first%20ed.pdf

Jon, Taking your example: For rebar, manufacture would include fabricators that cut, bend, bend, galvanize, epoxy-coat, or otherwise modify the bar before shipping it to the construction site. This manufacturer is the Final manufacturing location to project site. Is this right? Assuming the above Final manufacturer purchases their rebar from say, Gerdau or Nucor. To claim regional distance compliance for the recycled scraps, it will be the Gerdau or Nucor [who also melts the scrap and manufacture it into billet to form the rebar]. Is this right?

LS you're correct. According to the adenda language, the "collection" point can be considered either melt shop pr the colleciton/processing location before the melt shop. Sometimes those locations are co-located.

Thanks Keith. Can you provide me a link to the addenda language document you mentioned?

http://www.usgbc.org/sites/default/files/DocumentAddendaRG%20BD+C%2010.01.2014%20second%20ed.pdf It may be in other places but the search function on the USGBC website is....well....difficult. Go to pages 28/29. "The extraction point for recycled materials is the location of the raw material prior to the manufacturing of the final building product. As such, the point of extraction could include a recycling facility, scrap yard, depository, stockpile, or any other location where the material was collected and packaged for market purchase before manufacturing." At least in our business "Recycling Facility" = Melt Shop. "Scrap Yard" = location just prior to the melt shop. We track all incoming scrap by zip code and can provide a project team the % of scrap collected from within 500 miles of the jobsite. The 'problem' is that the collection point(s) then are a range of zip codes and not simply one zip code which is what's required on the LEED Online Form. I spoke to a LEED Reviewer earlier this week and he understood the challenge and suggested using the 'narrative' box to help explain if needed. Alternatively we can also track shipments directly and utilize the "Option 2" calculation. Typically it's helpful if we can be alerted of those projects as early as possible. Hope that helps.