Any LEED GA in here?

ruskyline · Nov 6, 2014

What do you guys think about LEED? Is it worth it?

willsee · Nov 6, 2014

matt267 PE · Nov 6, 2014

Depends are what you want to do with it. My wife is a LEED AP and it makes her more valuable to her company.

As a civil engineer, you might find yourself working for a company which bids on jobs that are looking for LEED certification. If that's the case, then it would be valuable to have. If your company will pay for the exam and continuing education credits, it would be REALLY worth it.

For me personally, it would be useless. We don't do anything with LEED here.

NJmike PE · Nov 6, 2014

matt267 said:
For me personally, it would be useless. We don't do anything with LEED here.

/\

resident tree hugger

matt267 PE · Nov 6, 2014

Quiet down Mike, the adults are talking.

John QPE · Nov 6, 2014

I'm a LEED AP BD+C and one of the stormwater/WQ/E&S subject experts for the USGBC. This has been invaluable for myself and my company.

As others have said....it all depends on what you want to do.

ruskyline · Nov 6, 2014

matt267 said:
Quiet down Mike, the adults are talking.

LMAOO!! Alright I'm getting the impression of "wait till your boss tells you to get one". Thanks everyone!

engineergurl · Nov 7, 2014

I'm all of your worst nightmares...

but really, it just depends on what your goal is...

ruskyline · Nov 7, 2014

engineergurl said:
I'm all of your worst nightmares...

but really, it just depends on what your goal is...

true I guess.. IDK, it's just in this age and time, you're better of with having another degree hanging on your wall than not having it... It's just you never know if one day it can be useful or no..

CE_Gator · Nov 10, 2014

I'm a LEED AP BD+C. I really only used it while I was working for the US. Army Corps of Engineers doing Project Management over construction of LEED Silver and Gold buildings on base. I work for a water/wasterwater utility now and there is no use for LEED in utilities.

engineergurl · Nov 12, 2014

artbides said:
I'm a LEED AP BD+C. I really only used it while I was working for the US. Army Corps of Engineers doing Project Management over construction of LEED Silver and Gold buildings on base. I work for a water/wasterwater utility now and there is no use for LEED in utilities.

I'm curious as to where you were working. My experience was that they don't actually register anything into the LEED website unless the contractor desires to. The requirements were there but as long as the checklist was met it would never go to the final stages.

CE_Gator · Nov 12, 2014

engineergurl said:
artbides said:

I'm a LEED AP BD+C. I really only used it while I was working for the US. Army Corps of Engineers doing Project Management over construction of LEED Silver and Gold buildings on base. I work for a water/wasterwater utility now and there is no use for LEED in utilities.

Click to expand...

I'm curious as to where you were working. My experience was that they don't actually register anything into the LEED website unless the contractor desires to. The requirements were there but as long as the checklist was met it would never go to the final stages.

90% of the time the specs called for the building (new and renovation) to meet LEED certifiable standards but in some instances it is a betterment that the DB firm put forward or was specifically asked for by using organization. For example there was a LEED Silver certified school gymnasium that was built on base because DODEA/DDESS required it. There was a Blood Donor Center that the DB firm offered to certify the building LEED Gold as part of their betterments when they submitted their RFQ submittal. I don't know about now but three years ago, that's what USACE was requiring on their MILCON and certain OMA work.

engineergurl · Nov 13, 2014

artbides said:
engineergurl said:

artbides said:

I'm a LEED AP BD+C. I really only used it while I was working for the US. Army Corps of Engineers doing Project Management over construction of LEED Silver and Gold buildings on base. I work for a water/wasterwater utility now and there is no use for LEED in utilities.

Click to expand...

I'm curious as to where you were working. My experience was that they don't actually register anything into the LEED website unless the contractor desires to. The requirements were there but as long as the checklist was met it would never go to the final stages.

Click to expand...

90% of the time the specs called for the building (new and renovation) to meet LEED certifiable standards but in some instances it is a betterment that the DB firm put forward or was specifically asked for by using organization. For example there was a LEED Silver certified school gymnasium that was built on base because DODEA/DDESS required it. There was a Blood Donor Center that the DB firm offered to certify the building LEED Gold as part of their betterments when they submitted their RFQ submittal. I don't know about now but three years ago, that's what USACE was requiring on their MILCON and certain OMA work.

DODEA/DDESS I will agree with but the schools are an individual entinity within the system, they have to meet individual post standards but usually exceed them in meeting their own standards, but I'm going to disagree with you for MILCON (I wasn't involved in too much OMA work until the end so I don't have as much experience with it), but the RFP's don't require that the projects actually be certified, it only states that they need to meet the requirements on the checklist. The projects are not going to go through the process unless the contractor pushes them through and pays for the certification. Out of all the projects that I worked on, I can only think of two contractors that actually went through and were aiming for it, and I'm not even sure that they got it (and I'm talking about more than two years ago as well)

CE_Gator · Nov 13, 2014

engineergurl said:
artbides said:

engineergurl said:

artbides said:

I'm a LEED AP BD+C. I really only used it while I was working for the US. Army Corps of Engineers doing Project Management over construction of LEED Silver and Gold buildings on base. I work for a water/wasterwater utility now and there is no use for LEED in utilities.

Click to expand...

I'm curious as to where you were working. My experience was that they don't actually register anything into the LEED website unless the contractor desires to. The requirements were there but as long as the checklist was met it would never go to the final stages.

Click to expand...

90% of the time the specs called for the building (new and renovation) to meet LEED certifiable standards but in some instances it is a betterment that the DB firm put forward or was specifically asked for by using organization. For example there was a LEED Silver certified school gymnasium that was built on base because DODEA/DDESS required it. There was a Blood Donor Center that the DB firm offered to certify the building LEED Gold as part of their betterments when they submitted their RFQ submittal. I don't know about now but three years ago, that's what USACE was requiring on their MILCON and certain OMA work.

Click to expand...

DODEA/DDESS I will agree with but the schools are an individual entinity within the system, they have to meet individual post standards but usually exceed them in meeting their own standards, but I'm going to disagree with you for MILCON (I wasn't involved in too much OMA work until the end so I don't have as much experience with it), but the RFP's don't require that the projects actually be certified, it only states that they need to meet the requirements on the checklist. The projects are not going to go through the process unless the contractor pushes them through and pays for the certification. Out of all the projects that I worked on, I can only think of two contractors that actually went through and were aiming for it, and I'm not even sure that they got it (and I'm talking about more than two years ago as well)

And I agree with you. 95% of the projects only required for them to meet the requirements on the checklist. Only a few actually went through the process to get certified.

CE_Gator · Nov 14, 2014

If you look online in the LEED database for projects on military bases certified LEED Silver and Gold, you will find a lot that have gone through the process to get LEED certified.

engineergurl · Nov 14, 2014

artbides said:
engineergurl said:

artbides said:

engineergurl said:

artbides said:

I'm a LEED AP BD+C. I really only used it while I was working for the US. Army Corps of Engineers doing Project Management over construction of LEED Silver and Gold buildings on base. I work for a water/wasterwater utility now and there is no use for LEED in utilities.

Click to expand...

I'm curious as to where you were working. My experience was that they don't actually register anything into the LEED website unless the contractor desires to. The requirements were there but as long as the checklist was met it would never go to the final stages.

Click to expand...

90% of the time the specs called for the building (new and renovation) to meet LEED certifiable standards but in some instances it is a betterment that the DB firm put forward or was specifically asked for by using organization. For example there was a LEED Silver certified school gymnasium that was built on base because DODEA/DDESS required it. There was a Blood Donor Center that the DB firm offered to certify the building LEED Gold as part of their betterments when they submitted their RFQ submittal. I don't know about now but three years ago, that's what USACE was requiring on their MILCON and certain OMA work.

Click to expand...

DODEA/DDESS I will agree with but the schools are an individual entinity within the system, they have to meet individual post standards but usually exceed them in meeting their own standards, but I'm going to disagree with you for MILCON (I wasn't involved in too much OMA work until the end so I don't have as much experience with it), but the RFP's don't require that the projects actually be certified, it only states that they need to meet the requirements on the checklist. The projects are not going to go through the process unless the contractor pushes them through and pays for the certification. Out of all the projects that I worked on, I can only think of two contractors that actually went through and were aiming for it, and I'm not even sure that they got it (and I'm talking about more than two years ago as well)

Click to expand...

And I agree with you. 95% of the projects only required for them to meet the requirements on the checklist. Only a few actually went through the process to get certified.

artbides said:
If you look online in the LEED database for projects on military bases certified LEED Silver and Gold, you will find a lot that have gone through the process to get LEED certified.

You do realize that you contradicted yourself? And considering the volume of projects, I don't really see a lot that have gone through the process. Regardless of that, it's not a requirement for the majority of projects.

CE_Gator · Nov 14, 2014

engineergurl said:
You do realize that you contradicted yourself? And considering the volume of projects, I don't really see a lot that have gone through the process. Regardless of that, it's not a requirement for the majority of projects.

I don't think I'm contradicting myself, I am just being inaccurate with my word choice.

There are at least a dozen buildings on Fort Benning that have gone through the process and gotten LEED Certified. Which is a lot to me compared to how many we've done for universities which only have 3 or 4 or municipalities which only have 3 or 4. So the percentage of the military projects I have seen don't go through the process of getting LEED certified, the absolute numbers on each base is surprisingly more than what is seen in the private sector, or with other public institutions like universities or municipalities.

NJmike PE · Nov 14, 2014

God, you two are still fight?

engineergurl · Nov 14, 2014

artbides said:
There are at least a dozen buildings on Fort Benning that have gone through the process and gotten LEED Certified.

really? I can think of about 4 or 5 that went ahead with the process. MACH, MCOEHQ/Bldg 4, the big CIF, and some of the DFACs in sand hill... if I remember correctly there were a few others that ended up not getting enough points and my memory is fuzzy about the maintenance building out in Harmony Church... considering the amount of construction that was occurring there the percentage is very low (even if a full dozen went through the process that is less than 10%)

engineergurl · Nov 14, 2014

and I will sound so ocd here but it's a post not a base

Any LEED GA in here?

Help Support Professional Engineer & PE Exam Forum:

EIT

Well-known member

"1000000 warning points" Club Member

Game Czar

"1000000 warning points" Club Member

Straight Outta Compton

EIT

Resident Sweet Cheeks

EIT

Well-known member

Resident Sweet Cheeks

Well-known member

Resident Sweet Cheeks

Well-known member

Well-known member

Resident Sweet Cheeks

Well-known member

Game Czar

Resident Sweet Cheeks

Resident Sweet Cheeks

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!