The American Institute of Steel Construction has come out in opposition to the latest draft of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard for the design of high-performance green buildings. Chicago-based AISC claims that standard 189.1 is unfair to steel and favors the concrete industry. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) are cooperating on the ASHRAE 189.1 revision.
Among AISC's complaints is a rule that will place a 5% cap on the contribution that any one material can provide toward the overall recycled content of a building. A typical structural steel frame provides an 11% credit towards the overall recycled content of a building, while a concrete frame may provide only 1-2%, according to AISC's statement.
