Houston metal building construction is fast, cost-effective, and may help you earn LEED green building points.
Green buildings are quickly becoming the norm because they offer exceptional savings for property owners and also help support sustainable practices. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is one of the most popular green building certification systems. If you’re considering going for LEED certification, Houston metal building construction can offer many opportunities for gaining LEED points.
Houston Metal Building Construction is Sustainable
There are several reasons why Houston metal building construction is a top choice for green buildings. Most metal buildings are made of steel. Steel is 100% recyclable. You can even recycle it multiple times and it won’t lose its strength. In addition, the steel industry has made numerous strides to reduce environmental impact for steel production. For example, steel manufacturers have worked to reduce greenhouse emissions. Steel production also uses very little water, which is then recycled back into the environment even cleaner than before. Therefore, steel is an environmentally-friendly construction material.
Also, steel buildings are extraordinarily durable. This means that they last longer and require significantly less maintenance compared to wood or concrete buildings. In addition, steel has a high strength to weight ratio, meaning you need less material for construction.
Steel is Ideal for Houston LEED Construction
There are several ways you can earn points for Houston LEED construction by choosing steel as a building material. For example, most steel products offer environmental product declarations (EPDs), which include comprehensive life cycle assessments. This can help contribute points toward LEED certification.
Another important factor is that Houston metal building construction also offers multiple ways to provide superior insulation and an air-tight building. This can help reduce energy consumption for climate control, which helps the environment and can also offer savings for building owners.
Also, when it comes to roofing systems, cool roofs are common for steel buildings. These roofs reflect solar radiation, which helps keep building interiors cool and comfortable and reduce the load on HVAC systems. Cool roofs on metal buildings can not only reduce energy use by up to 40% or more, it also helps reduce heat island effect. All this can also help add points toward your building’s LEED certification.
In addition, metal buildings can also help with sustainable site development. Sustainable site development points go to developments that reduce environmental impacts to the building site during construction. A great advantage of steel construction for LEED is that many of the building components can be pre-engineered off-site. This helps reduce the amount of time on the site, the number of construction workers, and also the amount of waste produced on the site. This may help reduce site disturbance and gain your development points for green building certification.
Expert Houston Commercial Construction from GRA Gulf Coast Construction
When you need quality workmanship, skill, and dedication to your Houston commercial construction goals, our team at GRA Gulf Coast Construction is here for you. Our team is here to help with a wide range of construction projects to meet and exceed your goals. Call us today at (713) 934-7797 for a free construction consultation!
