Rigidized® metals are design-strengthened to last. Long before “sustainability” and “green building” terms were coined, Architects, Designers and Engineers were specifying Rigidized® for two main reasons:

1. “Rigidizing” or deep texturing allows for the use of lighter gauges (thickness of metal) because of the significantly improved strength-to-weight ratios achieved by Rigidized®. Using less metal in the first place seems pretty “green” to us.
2. Textured surfaces resist dents and hide scratches and fingerprints making them last longer and look cleaner than ordinary metals. Products made from Rigidized® metals simply look better for longer, require less maintenance and are made from fewer raw materials.

Leed® Credits and Rigidized® Metals

The United States Green Building Design Council created the Leed® program to define a set of national standards for sustainable building design. Leed® stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Points and credits are awarded for construction materials and building features that meet Leed® criteria.

Materials & Resources – Credit 4: Recycled Content

The Recycled Content Credit is intended to encourage the use of materials that contain recycled content. A vast majority of the metals that we transform are steel and aluminum. Both materials have high levels of recycled content and are 100% recyclable. Rigidized® materials have significant recycled content that contribute to Credit 4 under Materials & Resources.

Throughout the stainless steel industry, it is widely accepted that any given “heat” of stainless will be composed of the following materials:

• 25% post-consumer waste*
• 35% post-industrial waste*
• 40% raw materials*

It’s noteworthy that recycled content percentages reflect the long life-cycle and worldwide demand for stainless.

*Source: Specialty Steel Industry of North America

Aluminum is recycled extensively from both post-consumer and post-industrial sources and provides the most valuable component for most municipal recycling efforts. A recent survey indicated that the recycled content of domestically produced flat rolled products for building and construction market was approximately 80-85%**
**Source: Metal Construction Association

Materials & Resources – Credit 5 Regional Manufacture

The Regional Manufacture Credit is intended to encourage the use of building materials that are manufactured within the region of the project. Under the LEED® rating system, projects within 500 miles of our east cost manufacturing plant can qualify for this credit.

For more information please contact us or visit www.usgbc.org.