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Adaptive Thermal Comfort

Adaptive thermal comfort broadens our understanding of the comfort zone by accounting for human behavior and perception, and factors like amount of clothing and air movement.
Environmental Building News—May 1, 2009

Porous Paving

Pavement that allows infiltration of stormwater comes in a variety of types, and offers many environmental and even cost benefits.
Environmental Building News—April 1, 2009

Graywater Collection and Use

If properly stored and separated from potable water, graywater collected from sinks, showers, and clothes washers can be used to irrigate landscaping.
Environmental Building News—March 1, 2009

Using Fly Ash in Concrete

Fly ash lowers the environmental footprint of concrete and improves durability. Pouring and curing concrete with high levels of fly ash requires special treatment.
Environmental Building News—February 1, 2009

Weighting Environmental Impact Categories

Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) score products or design options across a series of environmental impact categories. To compare two products with different impact profiles, it becomes necessary to weight those categories, a difficult process.
Environmental Building News—January 1, 2009

Defining Recycled Content

Accepted definitions bring some clarity to the term "recycled content," but still leave gray areas that are open to interpretation by product manufacturers.
Environmental Building News—December 1, 2008

Reducing Heat Flow Through Windows

Bringing daylight into a building through windows usually means a loss of heat; low-emissivity coatings, multiple panes, and gas fills can make windows more energy-efficient.
Environmental Building News—November 1, 2008

Foam-in-Place Polyurethane Insulation

Sprayed polyurethane foam offers several advantages over other forms of insulation, including R-value and airtightness. Installation, R-value, and ozone safety vary with the type of foam used.
Environmental Building News—October 1, 2008

Vapor Retarders and Air Barriers: Managing Moisture in Building Envelopes

Air barriers, which prevent air leakage, and vapor retarders, which control moisture diffusion, are both important for controlling moisture in a building envelope.
Environmental Building News—September 1, 2008

All About Formaldehyde

A naturally occurring organic compound used in binders for composite wood products, among other things, formaldehyde can create serious health problems in those exposed to high concentrations.
Environmental Building News—August 1, 2008
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