ASTM E2432-23

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Designation: E2432 − 19 E2432 − 23
Standard Guide for
General Principles of Sustainability Relative to Buildingsthe
Built Environment
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: There are three general principles of sustainability: environmental,
economic, and social. This guide covers application of the fundamental concepts and associated building characteristics for each
of the general principles of sustainability.sustainability to the built environment.
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.
1.2 This guide identifies general methodologies associated with the decision-making process used in pursuing sustainability.
1.3 This guide addresses buildings individually and in aggregate (collectively).The general principles identified in this guide are
applicable to all life-cycle stages of design and construction within the built environment.
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.
1.4 A variety of tools and standards exist that qualify and quantify impacts of buildings, building materials, and building methods
the built environment 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.
1.5 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.balance between competing goals.
1.6 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.
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E60.01 on Buildings and Construction.
Current edition approved July 1, 2019April 1, 2023. Published July 2019May 2023. Originally approved in 2005. Last previous edition approved in 20172019 as
E2432E2432 – 19.–17. DOI: 10.1520/E2432–19.10.1520/E2432-23.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
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1.7 This guide offers an organized collection of information or a series of options andbut does not recommend a specific course
of action. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment.
education, experience, or community dialogue. 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.
1.8 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, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of
regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.9 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
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
2.2 ISO Standard:
ISO 14040 Life Cycle Assessment
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 For terms related to building construction, refer to Terminology E631.
3.1.2 For terms related to sustainability relative to the performance of buildings, sustainability, refer to Terminology E2114.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 built environment, n—structures, infrastructure, and landscapes constructed or modified for human purposes.
3.2.1.1 Discussion—
The built environment includes all structures and other areas manipulated for the purposes of human activity including, but not
limited to, housing, commerce, manufacturing, and recreation. The built environment includes all infrastructure, utility, and other
systems designed or otherwise installed for the service and support of structures and areas accommodating human activity.
3.2.2 carbon sinking, n—an approach to offset carbon dioxide emissions through the absorption potential of forests and other
vegetation.
3.2.3 Design for the Environment (DfE), n—the systemic consideration of design performance with respect to environmental,
health, and safety objectives over the full product life-cycle.life cycle.
3.2.4 external costs/benefits, n—economic impact associated with the action of a party that is not borne by that party, but rather
by a third party or parties.
3.2.4.1 Discussion—
This is intended to include economic costs and benefits associated with environmental and social impacts arising out of the action.
3.2.5 green roof system, n—an assembly that supports an area of planting/landscaping, built up on a waterproofed substrate at any
level that is separated from the natural ground by a human-made structure.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Available from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO Central Secretariat, BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva,
Switzerland, http://www.iso.org.
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3.2.6 heat island effect, n—a phenomenon in which urban air and surface temperatures are higher than nearby rural areas due to
the replacement of natural land cover with pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure.
4. Significance and Use
4.1 Every building and building product The built environment has environmental, economic, and social impacts. These impacts
occur at all life-cycle stages in multiple ways and on local, regional, and global scales. It is imperative to understand the nature
of these impacts and their relationship to the general principles of sustainability in order to address the opportunities and challenges
they present in buildings.present.
4.1.1 Buildings impact the environment. In order to advance sustainability, it It is necessary to identify environmental impacts,
mitigate negative environmental impacts, and promote positive environmental impacts.the environmental impacts in order to
promote the positive and mitigate the negative.
4.1.2 Buildings have economic impacts. In order to advance sustainability, it It is necessary to quantify and optimize life-cycle
costs/benefits and external costs/benefits to the greatest extent possible.the economic impacts in order to improve life-cycle costs
and benefits.
4.1.3 Buildings impact society. In order to advance sustainability, it It is necessary to identify the health, safety, and welfare
impacts, and social impacts in order to contribute to a positive quality of life for current and future generations.
4.2 The general principles of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social—are interrelated. Decisions founded on the
opportunities and challenges of any of the principles will have impacts relative to all of the principles. However, to facilitate clarity
in the presentation of the general principles of sustainability relative to buildings, principles, they are discussed individually in
Section 5.
4.3 Sustainability is an ideal. The practical application of the general principles of sustainability relies upon balancing
environmental, economic, and social impacts and committing to continual improvement to approach this ideal. improvement.
Section 6 discusses this balancing of environmental, economic, and social impacts in pursuit of sustainability.
4.4 The marketplace is evolving as technology, economics, and society become globalized. The range of topics and approaches
to standards development has evolved in tandem with the changes in the marketplace. This guide addresses one of the primary
issues of today’s global marketplace—sustainability. It This guide provides an overview of sustainability, as it is applicable to
buildings. It the built environment. This guide provides general guidance but does not prescribe a specific course of action.
4.5 This guide is intended to inform professionals associated with the building industry, including specifiers, planners, developers,
architects, landscapers, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, owners, facility managers, financial organizations related to
the building industry, product manufacturers, and government agencies including building officials, and other building
professionals.industry.
4.5.1 The general principles identified in this guide are intended to assist users in making decisions that advance sustainability.
4.5.2 The general principles identified in this guide are intended to inform the development and refinement of tools and standards
to qualify and quantify impacts of buildings, building materials, and building methods.the built environment.
5. Principles of Ideal Sustainability Relative to Buildings the Built Environment
5.1 Environmental Principles—Buildings impact the environment. From gathering raw materials, Raw materials sourcing,
production of components, assembly into structures, construction, day-to-day operations, periodic maintenance, toand the final
disposition of the components, there are impacts impact on the environment. Environmental impacts affect ecosystems,
biodiversity, and natural resources. In order to advance sustainability, it is necessary to identify environmental impacts, mitigate
negative environmental impacts, and promote positive environmental impacts.
5.1.1 Fundamental Concepts:
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5.1.1.1 Ecosystems—Ecosystems provide critical services that support life on the earth and the continued viability of a large range
of flora and fauna. Sustainability protects existing ecosystems and strives to restore damaged ecosystems.
5.1.1.2 Biodiversity—Biodiversity provides environmental options, both known and unknown, that contribute to the genetic
resilience of the earth’s flora and fauna. Sustainability protects or enhances the biodiversity and interdependencies of species.
5.1.1.3 Natural Resources—Natural resources provide the basic requirements of life and the material/energy from which all
human-made material/energy is derived. Sustainability balances the use of earth’s renewable, non-renewable, and perpetual
resources in order to preserve these resources for future generations.
5.1.2 Associated Building Characteristics:
5.1.2.1 Ecosystems—Sustainable buildings containconstruction integrates features that protect or enhance local, regional, and
global ecosystems. For example, energy efficiency features, both active and passive, can reduce the amount of energy used by thea
building. This approach can reduce the regional impacts associated with air emissions from electric power generation facilities and
reduce the local impacts of the heat island effect.
5.1.2.2 Biodiversity—Sustainable buildings containconstruction integrates features that protect or enhance species’ habitats. For
example, a green roof system can retain and utilize stormwater through the use of climate-appropriate plants. This approach can
reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff and creates new habitats within the built environment.
5.1.2.3 Natural Resources—Sustainable buildings maximize the construction maximizes effective use of resources. Sustainable
buildings preserve or enhance the quality of resources and do not adversely alter the balance between renewable resources by
maintaining or improving the balance between resources and their rate of consumption for building-related purposes. consumption.
For example, water resource stewardship approaches such as water-efficient, native landscaping, and permeable surfaces can
reduce the use of water and help to naturally filter contaminants. These approaches can assist in recharging groundwater resources.
Similarly, wood building products obtained from sustainably managed forests offer a renewable resource that can contribute to the
preservation of forests for future generations. This approach can support biodiversity and contribute to carbon sinking.
5.2 Economic Principles—Buildings have both The built environment has both inherent direct and indirect economic impacts that
are inherent to the process of their acquisition, construction, use, maintenance, and disposition. Direct economic impacts are those
associated with the life-cycle costs/benefits of materials, land, and labor directly attributable to the building. impacts. Direct
costs/benefits are typically evaluated using life-cycle cost (LCC) methods. Indirect economic impacts are those associated with
external costs/benefits. External costs/benefits accrue to those indirectly impacted by the building. In order to advance
sustainability, it is necessary to quantify and optimize direct and indirect economic impacts to the greatest extent possible.
5.2.1 Fundamental Concepts:
5.2.1.1 External Costs/Benefits—Sustainability reduces external costs associated with social and environmental impacts
Sustainable practices may reduce external costs while promoting external benefits associated with social and environmental
impacts.
(1) Social Costs/Benefits—Sustainability requirespromotes economies with diverse job opportunities, equitable distribution of
resources, and educated, healthy workers.
(2) Environmental Costs/Benefits—Sustainability requirespromotes healthy, functioning ecosystems that provide services that
support local, regional, and global economies. Such services include pollination of crops, cleansing of water and air, the
decomposing of detritus for food, and the regulation of disease and pests.
5.2.1.2 Life-Cycle Costs/Benefits—Sustainability recognizes the full life-cycle costs/benefits of a building, including costs/benefits
associated with designing, purchasing/leasing, constructing/installing, using/operating, maintaining, repairing, replacing, and
disposing/deconstructing of buildings. Economic evaluation of sustainable buildings costs/benefits associated with all stages of the
full life cycle. Economic evaluation is based on the evaluation procedures delineated in Practice E917.
(1) First Costs/Benefits—First costs/benefits include the costs associated with design and construction of the building and the
acquisition of land on which to build. Sustainable building design, acquisition of land, and construction. Sustainable practices rely
on first costs/benefits being evaluated with consideration of associated cost/benefits for operation, deconstruction, and reuse or
disposal.
(2) Operating Costs/Benefits—Operating costs/benefits include utility costs,
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