ASTM E2432-11

This document is not anASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of anASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation:E2432–05 Designation:E2432–11
Standard Guide for
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General Principles of Sustainability Relative to Buildings
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2432; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 Sustainabilty has three types of general principles: environmental, economic, and social.This guide covers the fundamental
concepts and associated building characteristics for each of the general principles of sustainability.
1.2 This guide distinguishes between ideal sustainability and applied sustainability. Ideally, human activities would not require
making trade-offs among environmental, economic, and social goals. However, this guide recognizes that, in applying
sustainability principles to buildings, decision makers must often balance opportunities and challenges associated with each of the
general principles.
1.3 This guide identifies general methodologies associated with the decision-making process used in pursuing sustainability.
1.4 This guide addresses buildings individually and in aggregate (collectively).
1.4.1 The general principles identified in this guide are applicable to all scales of building projects, including: interior spaces,
individual buildings and groups of buildings, infrastructure systems, and land use.
1.4.2 The general principles identified in this guide are applicable to all life-cycle stages of a building and its components,
including: material extraction, product manufacturing, product transportation, planning, siting, design, specification, construction,
operation, maintenance, renovation, retrofit, reuse, deconstruction, and waste disposal of buildings.
1.5 A variety of tools and standards exist that qualify and quantify impacts of buildings, building materials, and building
methods in terms of one or more of the general principles of sustainability. It is not within the scope of this standard to recreate
or replace these tools.
1.6 This guide does not provide direction as to the specific implementation of the general principles; nor does it provide
direction as to the specific weighting of principles necessary for achieving balance.
1.7Implementation of1.7 Applying the principles in this guide will require professional judgment. Such judgment should be
informed by experience with environmental, economic, and social issues as appropriate to the building use, type, scale, and
location.
1.8 This guide offers an organized collection of information or a series of options and does not recommend a specific course
of action. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment.
Not all aspects of this guide may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace
the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied
without consideration of a project’s many unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the title of this document means only that the
document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.
1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
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2.1 ASTM Standards:
E631 Terminology of Building Constructions
E917 Practice for Measuring Life-Cycle Costs of Buildings and Building Systems
E2114 Terminology for Sustainability Relative to the Performance of Buildings
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2.2 ISO Standards:
ISO 14040 Life Cycle Assessment
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This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E60.01 on Buildings and Construction.
Current edition approved Aug. 15, 2005. Published August 2005. DOI: 10.1520/E2432-05.
Current edition approved Aug. 1, 2011. Published August 2011. Originally approved in 2005. Last previous edition approved in 2005 as E2432 – 05. DOI:
10.1520/E2432-11.
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For referencedASTM standards, visit theASTM website, www.astm.org, or contactASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summ
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