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Energy Performance Strategies at Coverings 2010

Sustainable benefits of tile, marble, terrazzo go beyond IAQ

April 12, 2010

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Designers familiar with the indoor environmental quality advantages of tile, marble, and terrazzo will learn more about their energy efficiency benefits, plus strategies for maximizing both, at an educational session offered by the International Masonry Institute on April 29, during Coverings 2010 in Orlando.

“Performance, Energy Efficiency, and Improved Air Quality with Tile, Marble and Terrazzo” will be presented by IMI Director of Sustainability and Program Development Maria Viteri, AIA, LEED AP. The presentation offers designers a “whole system” approach to design and construction with the materials, with particular focus on meeting LEED 2009 New Construction and Commercial Interior guidelines. Attendees will also learn how to use the IMI LEED Checklist to achieve optimal performance. The session offers AIA Continuing Education credits.

Coverings 2010 is an international trade fair and expo for tile and stone and a key educational source for architects and designers. IMI is a strategic alliance of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and their contractors to promote quality masonry construction, through craft training and technical assistance for the design and construction communities.

For information on sustainable masonry and more IMI Green Events, go to www.imiweb.org/greenmasonry or email greenmasonry@imiweb.org. For information on Coverings, go to www.coverings.com.

Contractors Embrace Sustainable Certification

(April 23, 2010) Scores of masonry contractors have taken advantage of the nation’s first sustainability certification program for the masonry industry since its 2009 launch, and enrollment continues to grow.

Developed by the International Masonry Institute, the Sustainable Masonry Certification Program educates union masonry contractors on the nuts and bolts of sustainability practices and their role in the LEED certification process, making contractors a valuable part of LEED project teams.

The course addresses subcontractor responsibilities from estimating and project scope to project management and documentation. It covers the LEED credits every masonry contractor should know, plus green strategies like site use and construction waste management. Contractors are tested to verify their ability to fulfill LEED responsibilities.

“When masonry contractors understand how they contribute to successful LEED projects, everybody wins,” says IMI President Joan Calambokidis. “Green projects can be profitable, once contractors understand how to bid and manage them.”

To date, 66 contractors across North America have been certified. Upcoming 2010 sessions in CT, IL, IN, MA, MI, NJ, NY and PA will educate hundreds more.

For more information and contractor reviews, go to www.imiweb.org.