Dumpster Diving

A scatological view would look at construction from the residual material – or the stuff which ends up in dumpsters. When compared with the materials which go into the house, it can help identify the the highest waste factor materials, possible re-usable materials, and identify some sources of wasted costs.

Approximately 38% of residential construction waste consists of wood products. This is not surprising, as wood is a very specific dimensional material. It generally has to be cut and does not lend itself well to re-use. Unlike buckets of sheetrock mud, which is used as needed and the excess carried to the next site, wood often ends up in the dumpster.

There are a few options. On our recent jobsite, we employed a company who chips the construction waste into mulch, which can then be used in the landscaping. The cost was comparable to hauling this off to the landfill, but was further offset by the “free” mulch. It did require some staging, and manpower to break up the large pieces. However, there is still the question of the appropriateness of this material, which has already had a very complex life from the tree to mill, to warehousing, to retail, to job site, cut and now reground. That is a lot of transportation energy expended, and a high waste factor or 15% at the job site, plus the original waste at the mill.

Another approach is to build with materials which are already manufactured to the right dimensions. Examples of this would be panelized construction, or ICFs. One amazing energy efficient builder has been able to reduce his ICF jobsite waste to what fits into a grocery bag. How? By careful coordination with the architect to build to modulus; working with the site super to re-use waste pieces under slabs, for porch wall framing, or up in the attic with the other insulation. This is an example of a product which is more adaptable. This is why a 5% waste factor is generally enough.

Cardboard can take up to 30% of the space in the dumpster. The extra disposal fees can be avoided if the contractor provides another holding spot, and finds appropriate recycling drop-off locations. Waste can also be controlled by tighter estimating, ordering, and organizing of materials on site. Providing space in the construction garage for material left-overs, which can then either be re-used at future sites or donated. Habitat for Humanity operates “Re-Stores” in many locations which are glad to have left-overs.

All these unavoidable waste stream items and tipping fees are lost profits to the contractor. A bit of dumpster diving may not be the most pleasant activity, but might be well worth it in the long run.

The World Customer

Back in the 70’s, my open-minded teachers valiantly tried to teach us kids the metric system.  But confidence of the American market dominance prevailed and we stayed with the British Imperial unit,  a measure which even the Tories themselves are abandoning.

None of that really mattered too much as long as the US was manufacturing its own building materials, with little of it destined for export.  But the balance of trade has changed, and we now import steel from Korea, drywall from China, wood from Canada, and cement from Mexico.  While there are pockets of exports, our trade is mostly expressed a great sucking sound of cheap Chinese imports, Walmart at the lead.   And the balance in trade?  Mostly lacking.

An interesting phenomena is happening in the building industry.  At the opposite end of the spectrum from the cheap materials are the progressive, energy efiicient materials.  For examples,  the most energy efficient windows come from China (Serious Windows excepted);  water savings from  Australia (Toto, Rainharvesting);  HVAC from Europe, IKEA from Sweden…     All these countries use the SI (the metric system).  Still not a problem as long as North America is a large enough market… they can always build to our specifications.

But what about when the tables are turned?  Headline:  “Germany seizes on big business in China.” “ Fast-growing demand from Asia's giant is helping to fuel the strong German recovery, and Germany now stands as proof that a rich nation can profit off China's rise.”   Wait – aren’t these the same products which we claim are too expensive to import?

Not only does Germany sell 5 times more Volkswagens to China than to the US, smaller German manufacturing firms are also getting into the act. Scheipermeier's Nobilia , a family-run company, is  making modular kitchens in a .8 km  (that’s half-mile to you) long factory, where free-roaming robots work alongside humans on the most advanced assembly line of its kind in the world.  Once in China, the kitchens are typically sold in a package with German appliances, including those produced by Miele, another family-run Germany company.  In large part because of German appliance makers, Chinese washing machines, dishwashers and other appliances are also now built largely to European, rather than American, specifications.

Hmm..  Our imperial units seem increasingly more like the lost empire.  Already we are starting to see the challenges as we combine some of the metric material out of Canada.  Mixing sizes impacts the modularity of construction and can result in waste and frustration.   I’ve already hear rumors of companies who are negotiating with German manufacturers to offer full  Passiv Haus packages,  complete with imported windows and appliances.   This may be one of the most painless methods to transition. And it's not just the measurement sizes, it's the power (120 vs 220), the materials, and even the general approach to construction.   We are now in an import situation, where the rest of the world has already voted.…. Maybe it’s time to get those old math teachers out of retirement and take another stab at metric.

Down the Drain

In a perfectly LEED world, all fixtures would be low flow, and toilets would be low-flush. We would add sensors and monitors to restrict water use even more. And we all live happily ever after… until the sewer starts backing up and causing a stink.

So another person to ask to join us at the design stage is the plumber. Water delivery and waste removal is all part of a fully integrated system. It is based on some traditional assumptions of water supply fixture units, a numerical weighing factor to account for the water demand of various plumbing fixtures. When these are radically changed, so should the entire system calculations.

How about this headline: “ Low-flow toilets suspected as the culprit in backups at new NL jail.” Ironically, an important reason cited for needing a new jail was the problem with toilets in the old jail on the third-floor of the courthouse that sometimes sent sewage raining into court offices on the second floor. The diagnosis? The new low flow toilets don’t produce enough water to flush the waste all the way through the sewer line. The proposed solutions? Change the diaphragms in four toilets to increase water flow, or add a $1,000 fix to the janitor's areas that would frequently flood the pipes with extra water to clean out debris getting hung up. Gotta love it - let’s add water to the low-flow toilets.

Other solutions. The Australians, who are well familiar with water shortages, invented a solution called a “Drainwave,” which is a retention box somewhere between the source and the sewer which fills until it reaches a tipping point, and then dumps the whole lot. Or how about the toilet lid sink many years ago, which might be at least a good solution for retrofits. When the toilet flushes, the water drawn to refill the bowl first comes out in a sink mounted on the top of the tank. Great idea, as long as you have side access to the tank. In any case, it is about a 1.2 water per flush, maybe enough to do the job.  Invented by the Japanese, also spotted in US prison cells...

You know, back when we used outhouses, this wasn’t a problem. Maybe we need to conceptually rethink the separation of clearwater (stormwater), graywater (sinks) and brownwater (toilets). Building sites are increasingly developing swales to capture stormwater, there are some which have experimented with wetlands to absorb graywater, and whenever I hike the Grand canyon, I stop in at the composting toilet for the brownwater. China used to call this night soil, back before they adopted the thoroughly inefficient Western flush potty.

While some of this might seem a bit dramatic, I am often reminded that John Wesley Powell predicted a war over water. In some places it has already begun. As our aquafers are drained, our ground source water polluted (seen Gaslands?), and increasing populations want to live the McMansion life, water is likely to become one of most prized commodities. Let’s invite the plumbers to the table.

Estimate Driven Design

Who drives the design? One experience homebuilder confirmed to me that it was the salesperson. Depends on which version s/he sells. Who developed the versions? Tradition and market demand? Costs are based on upgrades.

Next I asked a series of questions. Which roof design is the least expensive? Which shape house gives you the most square feet without increasing the cost of the roof trusses. Which combination of exterior shell materials is the least expensive? Is it the current system with lots of layers and tradesman (ie labor costs) or the more expensive composite material with one round of labor? Is the buyer choosing what they want, or the best of the options which are presented?

And so I come to the estimator. Have I told you about the Banner Bank Building in Boise (aka BBBB). Not sure if the estimator drove this particular design decision, but s/he could have – if asked. This was classic rectangular office building, with lots of windows. The clever solution was to move the structural support from the exterior perimeter inward about the depth of an office. The hollowcore floors could then cantilever on these walls, to be connected by curtain wall on the exterior skin.

What’s so clever? The total length of the structural wall was reduced, and the closer spacing eliminated the need for another internal bearing wall - costs were reduced. The thin profile of the hollow-core precast allowed for another floor to fit within the building height – more revenue. The sold concrete also resulted in total zoning of each floor, and a decision to provide separate floor mechanicals vs one complete building mechanical – which saved both in initial equipment costs, operating costs, and improved occupant control and comfort.

This brought to mind a little factoid I had come across in my ICF days with US Government Blast Resistant construction. The test was not whether the building enveloped could be penetrated, but whether the building would stay standing. Ergo, a solution such as the BBBB was acceptable.

My guess is that the estimators in our industry have a font of knowledge which, when paired with a designer for ideas and an engineer for reality checks, could result in more efficient and cost effective solutions. Can we offer clients solutions based on their needs? Something to think about.

Financial Perspective

Since WWII, there was relatively straightforward financial plan. Borrow as much as you can to build as much equity as possible, since the market value will increase. Home sizes were always going up, so more was better. In past blogs, we’ve explored the value of homeowner toward building equity, and a source of low interest loans which help fund many of America’s start-up business. And now, the bubble has burst. What is next?

This week’s Builder blog has a very thoughtful discussion offered by George Casey. He cites the statistics of the percentage of homeowners vs renters shifting away from ownership, future housing policy to address the shortage of low income housing, and lenders to expect a higher contribution of equity. In addition to all the current housing stock sitting at discounted prices, home builders are still hesitant to shift away from tried and true product.

The future of housing is likely to see a considerable shift from the booming, post-war years. One reader comments that Canada and U.K . have high ownership without government support. But in America, this might be chasing a Norman Rockwell era. This is an increasingly mobile society, with reduced family sizes, and different cultural expectations. Proximity to urban comforts and low maintenance outweigh a large yard and large mortgage.

So what is the financial perspective of housing of the future? Looking through the eyes of one very successful financial powerhouse, Warren Buffet, one solution might lie in modular housing - such as the i-home. Developed by Clayton homes, newly acquired by Berkshire-Hathaway, this efficiency boasts solar panels, on-demand hot water heaters, energy efficient windows…. This is essentially an upscale mobile home, which has been the low-cost option for housing for years. But while the footprint may be similar, this product and market is geared to be very cutting edge, very green. Somewhat reminiscent of the early Levitt homes - sans roof.  And also very geared to warmer, southern climates...

Warren Buffett is known for his analytic, stick-to-his guns approach to investing. But in the company’s 2000 annual report, Buffet wrote: “We have embraced the 21st century by entering such cutting-edge industries as brick, carpet and insulation. Try to control your excitement.” Despite the dry humor, one does have have to wonder if he is on to something.  Certainly well worth keeping an eye on.   Perhaps there are lessons to be learned.

View from the Chair

No –not the electric, nor the throne. Today we are looking at buildings from the perspective of the worker chair – or anyone who occupies the building. Are there enough chairs, are they both in the flow and far enough out of the flow, can they be regrouped, are they the right kind for the function in mind.

Of course, this applies not only to the chair but the space. I have the pleasure of working in a building which has a high ratio of unusable space, all while the department makes plans for a new building – for more space. An excellent discussion and examples of this phenomena are eloquently described in Stewart Brand’s book: “How Buildings Learn.” I draw on some classics:

What is the actual purpose of the building? An office building might identify the need for various tiers of workspace (corner office, walled office, cubicles) as well as gathering places – both formal (conference rooms) and informal (gathering spots). Planners generally excel at providing the spaces for the management and formal conference rooms, after all, these needs are represented by the owners, who sign off on the drawings. But what about the gathering places for the workerbees to congregate and generate the great gooey mass which is the food for the growth of the company?

Lunch rooms – good idea, but ours is often cross-booked as a conference room at lunch, which holds hostage our goodies in the fridg. No wonder few people bother to bring lunch anymore, and scatter at lunchtime. Other informal spots… Brand compares MIT’s legendary building #20, which is a vestige of WWII, but built with heavy wood timbers, as steel was not available. This sturdy skeleton has harbored a veritable laboratory of human social patterns, as walls have been moved, wires strung, and spaces claimed. Compare this with the Media Lab, built by reknown architect I.M. Pei. Brand description is pretty emphatic: “pretentious, ill-functioning, and non-adaptable.” The intended gathering space, which gobbles up a significant amount of internal space is a vast, sterile atrium. There are no open hallways within which to gather, any landings are too open and too hollow to serve as gathering spots. Nowhere is there a place to gather. And what building should be seeking collaboration more than a Lab??

Perhaps a space planner might join the next design charrette. Or management might go for a tour of vibrant, functioning places. Whose next at the table?

The Maytag Man

In our Building Mechanicals course the other day, we discussed the benefits of wall hung toilets in commercial construction was because they could be “paired” on a common wall with those of the other gender bathroom in the next room, and thus had one plumbing wall for a lower install expense. And here I was thinking because it would be much easier for the janitorial staff to clean underneath and all the way to the wall. Honestly, how many of you have cleaned the floor around your john?

It is all a matter of perspective. For example, should anyone every ask this “facility maintenance” personnel which floor finish requires the least amount of cleaning – the answer might be based on how often they need to buff and polish the floor, or reapply a surface shine, or replace torn or damaged sections. I chose my kitchen tile once by scooping up some household dirt and sprinkling on various floor samples. The rubber tile with cork pieces most closely disguised the dirt – so voilà – my choice was made. This also happens to be a very durable floor, which won’t get divot marks when you wheel in the refrigerator, and can withstand rambunctious children and a few stain dribbles when the kitchen doubled as a wood shop staining station….

But back to the industrial example - add the repairs, maintenance and replacement to the initial install of a floor material, say VCT, and you might find the life cycle cost of a material like cork or true linoleum may be well worth the investment. At least, given that the investor is also the owner or interested in a sustainable construction solution. A durable material amortizes the embodied energy over more years, and reduces operating costs in maintenance/ repair/ replacement.

Facility managers can also tell you which pumps go out, what thermostats malfunction, which toilets never seem to do the job... Janitors can tell you how many electric heaters are plugged in at individual desks – which might provide a clue to the effectiveness of the HVAC.

So in our upcoming little series on the valuable contribution of every stakeholder in a “green” building, we start at the end. The crew who knows the inner workings of the building. Learn from previous examples – what needs their constant attention? What requires a Maytag man?

Who shall we visit for Tuesday blog , the next “least asked” person…