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Specifying Blended Cements
for Sustainable Healthcare Design
Cementitious-based building materials and LEED
by Andrew Pinneke, PE, LEED AP
Photo courtesy Donley’s Inc.
HOSPITALS, CLINICS, AND OTHER
TYPES OF MEDICAL FACILITIES
ARE STRIVING TO CREATE HIGH-
PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS MORE
CONDUCIVE TO HEALING, WHILE
ALSO REDUCING ENERGY AND WATER
CONSUMPTION TO MINIMIZE THEIR
As the demand for sustainable design and
building practices grows, concrete and
cementitious-based building materials
are making a strong contribution to the
construction of new healthcare facilities.
Concrete and blended cements can be used
to achieve credits under the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) program in
uses ranging from stormwater management
to the improvement of indoor air quality (IAQ).
They do so while also offering possibilities
for versatile design innovations using shape,
color, and texture.
With the longest life span of any building
material, concrete has all the advantages to
respond to the challenges of sustainable
healthcare construction. A mixture of natural
substances, concrete is locally produced,
40 the construction speciﬁer | april 2013
3/14/13 11:49:01 AM