Whole Building Design Guide

Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers

This is a guidance document with sample specification language intended to be inserted into project specifications on
this subject as appropriate to the agency's environmental goals. Certain provisions, where indicated, are required for
U.S. federal agency projects. Sample specification language is numbered to clearly distinguish it from advisory or
discussion material. Each sample is preceded by identification of the typical location in a specification section where
TM
it would appear using the SectionFormat of the Construction Specifications Institute.

SECTION 06160 SHEATHING

SPECIFIER NOTE:
resource management
Sheathing includes boards, wood structural panels, particleboard, chipboard,
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) and hardboard. Alternative products such as cellulose fiber board
(recycled newsprint), honeycomb cardboard (recycled paper or alternative agricultural fibers), and straw
fiberboard (agricultural waste) are available and can serve many of the same purposes as MDF and
particleboard; refer to Section 06700 - Alternative Agricultural Products. Specify the sheathing product
that is cost-effective to meet performance requirements. Each type of wood-based sheathing provides unique
structural and serviceability properties. Wood structural panels, for example, are manufactured from veneers, or wood
strands, or a combination of veneer and wood strands, bonded together with waterproof synthetic resins or other
suitable bonding systems. Examples of wood structural panels are: composite panels, a structural panel that is made
of layers of veneer and wood-based material; oriented strand board (OSB), a wood structural panel that is a matformed product composed of thin rectangular wood strands arranged in oriented layers; and plywood, a wood
structural panel comprised of plies of wood veneer arranged in cross-aligned layers. Wood structural panels are used
in applications, such as wall bracing and diaphragms because of their strength properties. MDF, which uses
smaller waste wood particles than OSB is seldom used for structural applications because of its brittleness.
Likewise, the use of particleboard, which uses the smallest wood particles, is restricted in the codes because of
its brittleness..
toxicity/IEQ: Processed wood and wood waste products such as particleboard, chipboard, and hardboard
often utilize formaldehyde-based resins as a binder or adhesive. Formaldehyde is considered a
probable carcinogen based on animal data. ANSI standard A208.189 for particleboard limits formaldehyde
emissions to 0.30 ppm for general purpose products and 0.20 ppm for flooring. Interior grade particle
board is fabricated with urea-formaldehyde; exterior grade particle board is fabricated with phenol resin
which is considered less toxic than urea formaldehyde. Particle boards that are formaldehyde free are
also available. Alternative binders include: parafin wax (such as some cellulosic fiberboard), rosin, starch,
and methyl diisocyanate (such as straw fiberboard or some MDF).
performance: Performance is comparable for green methods and standard methods. Since each product
has unique structural and serviceability characteristics, performance is dependent on the design and application of
the sheathing.

PART 1 - GENERAL
1.1

SUMMARY
A.

This Section includes:

1.
Sheathing.

B.

Related Sections:
1.
Section 06070 - Wood Treatment.
2.
Section 06100 Rough Carpentry.
3.
Section 06200 Finish Carpentry.

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4.
1.2

Section 06700 Alternative Agricultural Products.

SUBMITTALS
A.

Product data. Unless otherwise indicated, submit the following for each type of product
provided under work of this Section:
SPECIFIER NOTE:
Green building rating systems often include credit for materials of recycled content. USGBC-LEED
v2.2, for example, includes credit for materials with recycled content, calculated on the basis of preconsumer and post-consumer percentage content, and it includes credit for use of salvaged/recovered
materials.
Green Globes US also provides points for reused building materials and components and for building
materials with recycled content.
1.
Recycled Content:
a.
Engineered Wood Products :
1)
Indicate recycled content; indicate percentage of pre-consumer
and post-consumer recycled content per unit of product.
2)
Indicate relative dollar value of recycled content product to total
dollar value of product included in project.
3)
If recycled content product is part of an assembly, indicate the
percentage of recycled content product in the assembly by
weight.
4)
If recycled content product is part of an assembly, indicate
relative dollar value of recycled content product to total dollar
value of assembly.
SPECIFIER NOTE:
Salvaged lumber is lumber that had been previously utilized and has been salvaged for reuse. Salvaged
lumber may also be referred to as reclaimed lumber.

b.

Salvaged Lumber: Provide documentation certifying products are from

salvaged lumber sources.

SPECIFIER NOTE:
Recovered lumber is lumber that had been previously harvested but which had been abandoned in transit to
riverbeds or lakes.

c.

Recovered Lumber: Provide documentation certifying products are from

recovered lumber sources.

SPECIFIER NOTE:
Specifying local materials may help minimize transportation impacts; however it may not have a
significant impact on reducing the overall embodied energy of a building material because of efficiencies
of scale in some modes of transportation.
Green building rating systems frequently include credit for local materials. Transportation impacts
include: fossil fuel consumption, air pollution, and labor.
USGBC-LEED v2.2 includes credits for materials extracted/harvested and manufactured within a 500
mile radius from the project site. Green Globes US also provides points for materials that are locally
manufactured.
2.
Local/Regional Materials:
a.
Sourcing location(s): Indicate location of extraction, harvesting, and
recovery; indicate distance between extraction, harvesting, and recovery
and the project site.
b.
Manufacturing location(s): Indicate location of manufacturing facility;
indicate distance between manufacturing facility and the project site.
c.
Product Value: Indicate dollar value of product containing local/regional
materials; include materials cost only.

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d.

Product Component(s) Value: Where product components are sourced

or manufactured in separate locations, provide location information for
each component. Indicate the percentage by weight of each component
per unit of product.

SPECIFIER NOTE:
Green building rating systems may include credit for low emitting materials. USGBC-LEED v2.2, for
example, includes credits for low-emitting materials, including: adhesives and sealants, paints and
coatings, carpets, and composite wood and agrifiber products. Under LEED v2.2, adhesives and
sealants are to comply with Californias South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) #1168;
aerosol adhesives are to comply with Green Seal GS-36; interior architectural paints are to comply with
Green Seal GS-11; anti-corrosive paints are to comply with Green Seal GS-03; clear wood finishes are to
comply with SCAQMD #1113; carpet with the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Green Label Plus; carpet
cushion with CRI Green Label program; and, composite wood and agrifiber products are to contain no
added urea-formaldehyde.
As per USGBC published Credit Interpretations, the credits for low-emitting materials are directed towards
interior, site-installed (i.e. not prefabricated) products. Verify project requirements for low VOC roofing
products.
Both the Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) and the SCAQMD have indicated that low VOC adhesives
may have performance difficulties in extreme temperature and humidity conditions.
Green Seal, an independent, non-profit organization, certifies low-emitting products using internationally
recognized methods and procedures. Green Seal certification meets the criteria of ISO 14020 and 14024,
the environmental standards for ecolabeling set by the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO); the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's criteria for third-party certifiers of environmentally
preferable products; and the criteria for bona fide ecolabeling bodies of the Global Ecolabeling Network.
Engineered wood products manufactured in accordance with ANSI standards are also available. For
example, the Composite Panel Associations (CPAs) Standard for Particleboard, ANSI A208.1, includes
maximum formaldehyde emissions for different grades of particleboard; ANSI A208.2, the Composite
Panel Associations Standard for MDF, covers MDF for interior applications and includes maximum
formaldehyde emission level for different grades of MDF.
3.
VOC data:
a.
Adhesives:
1)
Submit manufacturers product data for adhesives. Indicate
VOC limits of the product. Submit MSDS highlighting VOC
limits.
2)
Submit Green Seal Certification to GS-36 and description of the
basis for certification.
3)
[Submit manufacturers certification that products comply
with SCAQMD #1168.] [Submit manufacturers certification
that products comply with SCAQMD Rule 1168 in areas
where exposure to freeze/thaw conditions and direct
exposure to moisture will not occur.
In areas where
freeze/thaw conditions do exist or direct exposure to
moisture can occur, submit manufacturers certification that
products comply with Bay Area AQMD Reg. 8, Rule 51 for
containers larger than 16 oz and with California Air
Resources Board (CARB) for containers 16 oz or less.]
b.
Engineered Wood Products: Provide documentation that composite wood and
agrifiber products [are third-party certified as meeting ANSI standard
requirements for formaldehyde emissions] [contain no added ureaformaldehyde resins.]
1)
ANSI A208.1 1999, Particleboard
2)
ANSI A208.2 2002, Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) for
Interior Applications
SPECIFIER NOTE:

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Green building rating systems typically include credit for sustainably harvested wood. USGBC-LEED
v2.2, for example, includes credit for use of sustainably harvested wood certified under Forest
Stewardship Council Guidelines. Under LEED v2.2, a minimum of 50 percent of wood-based materials
and products incorporated into the Project must be certified in accordance with the Forest Stewardship
Council Guidelines.
Green Globes US also provides points for wood products that originate from certified sources, such as,
Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and the CSA Sustainable Forest
Management Program.
B.
Letter of Certification(s) for Sustainable Forestry:
1.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Provide letter of certification signed by
lumber supplier. Indicate compliance with FSC "Principles for Natural Forest
Management" and identify certifying organization.
a.
Submit FSC certification numbers; identify each certified product on a
line-item basis.
b.
Submit copies of invoices bearing the FSC certification numbers.
2.
Sustainable Forestry Board: Provide letter of certification signed by lumber
supplier. Indicate compliance with the Sustainable Forestry Boards "Sustainable
Forestry Initiative" (SFI) and identify certifying organization.
a.
Submit SFI certification numbers; identify each certified product on a
line-item basis.
b.
Submit copies of invoices bearing the SFI certification numbers.
3.
Canadian Standards Association (CSA): Provide letter of certification signed by
lumber supplier. Indicate compliance with the CSA and identify certifying
organization.
a.
Submit CSA certification numbers; identify each certified product on a
line-item basis.
b.
Submit copies of invoices bearing the CSA certification numbers.
1.3

QUALITY ASSURANCE
A.

Sustainably Harvested Wood: Certification Organizations shall be accredited by the

[Forest Stewardship Council] [Sustainable Forestry Board] [Canadian Standards
Association] [xxxxxxxx].

B.

Recycled Content Materials: Where recycled lumber materials are used for structural
applications, include lumber certification and quality grading.

C.

Engineered Wood Products:

1.

2.

Determine formaldehyde concentrations in air from wood products under test

conditions of temperature and relative humidity in accordance with ASTM D6007
or E1333.
Determine Volatile Organic Compounds VOC), excluding formaldehyde, emitted
from manufactured wood-based panels in accordance with ASTM D6330.

PART 2 - PRODUCTS
2.1

SHEATHING MATERIALS
A.

Engineered Wood Products:

1.

Toxicity/IEQ:
a.
Products shall contain no added urea-formaldehyde.

B.

Plywood, APA: Provide exterior grade particleboard with phenol resin for interior and
exterior applications.

C.

Oriented Strand Board: Phenolic-glued, low-formaldehyde board.

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D.
Fiberboard:
SPECIFIER NOTE:
US-EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) recommends 80-100 percent recycled content
for structural fiberboard and 100 percent post-consumer recycled content for laminated paperboard.
Green building rating systems often include credit for materials of recycled content and may distinguish
allowable credit for post-consumer and post-industrial (or pre-consumer) recycled content. USGBCLEED v2.2, for example, factors 100 percent of post-consumer recycled content but only 50 percent of
pre-consumer (post-industrial) recycled content into calculations for its recycled content materials credit.
LEED v2.2 grants one credit to a project for using materials with recycled content such that the sum of
post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of the post-industrial content constitutes at least 10 percent
of the total value of the materials in the project; 10% (post-consumer + 1/2 post-industrial). It grants an
additional point for 20% (post-consumer + 1/2 post-industrial).
Green Globes US also provides points for reused building materials and components and for building
materials with recycled content.
Recycled content is typically determined by calculating the weight of the recycled material divided by the
total weight of the product and expressed as a percentage by weight. (The recycled content value of a
product as assessed under LEED is determined by multiplying the recycled content percentage and the
cost of the product.)
Verify with manufacturer for product availability and recycled content.
1.
Recycled content:
a.
Structural: Minmum [80] [xxxx] percent recycled content.
b.
Non-Structural: Minimum [100] [xxxx] percent post-consumer recycled
content.
E.

Cellulose Honeycomb Panels: Panels shall be made of [Kraft paper] [Fire Retardant
paper] [and shall be impregnated with phenolic resins for moisture resistance].
SPECIFIER NOTE:
US-EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) recommends 100 percent post-consumer
recycled content for laminated paperboard.
1.
Recycled content:
Minimum 100 percent post-consumer recycled
content.
F.
2.2

Particleboard: Compressed wood fibers with phenol formaldehyde resin binder.

ACCESSORIES
A.

Adhesives: As specified in Section 06100.

B.

Fasteners: As specified in Section 06100.

PART 3 - EXECUTION
3.X

SITE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCEDURES

A.

As specified in Divisions 1 and Section 06100.

END OF SECTION

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