December 2004 Industry Leader:

David Shepherd, AIA, Director of Sustainable Development for the Portland Cement Association (PCA), likens himself to a translator. His current role at PCA draws on his more than 20 years' experience in the industry, melding it with a passion for public speaking and education to create a liaison-like role disseminating information on sustainability to the industry.

"I have a great job and I'm proud to be part of a proactive group...I take issues that are technical in nature and translate them into layman's terms," explains Shepherd. "I get to use both my analytical and creative skills and work with people."

Shepherd, who has been with the PCA for over four years, has a background in architecture and has worked in the design/construction industry since 1980.

He has had stints with several construction companies, as well as owned his own design and build business in Chicago, IL.

His current role with PCA was created in November 2003 because, Shepherd explains, "The members of PCA recognized we needed to address sustainability within our industry." The subject had been quietly brewing for over a decade at PCA, but it was only due to recent changes in the marketplace that the issue was brought to the forefront.

"PCA is excellent about research, but they're quiet, not braggadocios," says Shepherd. "We have a ton of great information and a great story to tell, we just need to hand the information to the people who need and want it."

Shepherd says much of the recent change in the marketplace was triggered by the release of Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for New Construction, which was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, a voluntary and consensus-based group

LEED is a measuring tool to determine how "green" a building project is, based on broad criteria such as site selection, water and energy efficiency, materials selection, and air quality. The materials used to construct a building are only a small slice of the pie. U.S. Green Building Council's membership growth has been phenomenal, starting with a mere five members and now claiming more than 4,000.

The Environmental Council Concrete Organization (ECCO), of which PCA is a member, was formed in 1994 to provide information about sustainable applications using concrete. Shepherd says that along with LEED, ECCO is doing its part to give the entire cement and concrete industries an educational resource.

"As an industry, (we need) to help decision makers (architects, designers, etc.) recognize our product has an advantage in terms of long term performance," says Shepherd.

Throughout the industry, people are doing their part. For example, Shepherd says that industry manufacturers have reduced the energy it takes to make a ton of cement by one third since the 1970s. And during the American Institute of Architects convention this past summer, PCA members announced the Cement Manufacturers Sustainability Program, implementing a reporting protocol for environment performance improvements.

Concrete is also doing its part, impacting a variety of different areas. Because of its durability, a concrete building is designed for an extremely long life. Pervious concrete pavement reduces water pollution and peak storm water discharge. When insulated concrete wall systems are used for the skin of the building, it creates a durable energy envelope. In fact, concrete's durability also allows it to withstand many man-made and natural disasters. Shepherd cites the fact that concrete can be used in multiple applications (sidewalks, bridges, buildings, houses, decorative floors, concrete tile roofs, etc.), making it an ideal sustainable building material.

"Another great application of concrete in residential is insulated concrete forms (ICF), cast-in-place and pre-cast walls, which solve a wealth of problems over wood-frame structures," explains Shepherd, adding that insulated concrete walls provide high R-values, minimal infiltration and thermal mass. "An insulated concrete home requires a minor upfront investment, but it outlasts and has better thermal performance...it is an initial investment with a great payback in comfort and energy savings."

Shepherd says that since insulated concrete homes have less heating and cooling requirements, they save energy every day and therefore generate less emissions. "Concrete homes require more energy to make, but use less energy when occupied. It takes about five to seven years to break even with a typical wood-frame house, at which point the concrete home is a better environmental solution," he adds.

Although Shepherd says green is starting to become an integrated part of the design/build process and will eventually become second nature, there's still much to be done. "The government is on board and has also made this a big issue," he says. "We are seeing local, state and federal construction requiring that green building principles be incorporated into the specifications."

"It's a pretty amazing product, and it's influential in a lot of ways to support sustainability," Shepherd concludes. "And when you're all done with it you can grind it up and use it again...Is this not the right thing to do for the future?"

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