Concrete Helps Achieve LEED™ Certification

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) is a rating system devised by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and encourage market transformation toward sustainable design. Governments at all levels are endorsing LEED™ through mandates, tax credits or grants. The system is credit-based, allowing projects to earn points for environmentally-friendly actions taken during construction and use of a building. Using concrete in various applications can help a project earn up to 110 LEED™ points, and 40 points are needed for basic LEED certification.

In the LEED checklist below, click on the credit below to see how concrete may qualify for the credit.

Potential LEED Credits for Ready Mix Concrete

     = Incidental concrete use in this LEED credit (30 points)           = Incidental concrete use in this LEED credit (30 points)

Sustainable Sites 26 possible points
Credit 2 Development Density and Community Connectivity 5
Credit 3 Brownfield Redevelopment 1
Credit 5.1 Site Development - Protect or Restore Habitat 1
Credit 5.2 Site Development - Maximize Open Space 1
Credit 6.1 Stormwater Design - Quantity Control 1
Credit 6.2 Stormwater Design - Quality Control 1
Credit 7.1 Heat Island Effect - Nonroof 1
Credit 7.2 Heat Island Effect - Roof 1


Water Efficiency 10 possible points
Prerequisite 1 Minimun Water Use Reduction Required
Credit 1 Water Efficient Landscaping 2-4
Credit 2 Innovative Wastewater Technologies 2
Credit 3 Water Use Reduction 2-4


Energy and Atmosphere 35 possible points
Prerequisite 2 Minimum Energy Performance Required
Credit 1 Optimize Energy Performance 2-19


Materials and Resources 14 possible points
Credit 1.1 Building Reuse - Maintain Existing Walls, Floors and Roof 1-3
Credit 2 Construction Waste Management 1-2
Credit 4 Recycled Content 1-2
Credit 5 Regional Materials 1-2
Credit 7 Certified Wood 1


Indoor Environmental Quality 15 possible points
Credit 4.1 Low-Emitting Materials - Adhesives and Sealants 1
Credit 4.2 Low-Emitting Materials - Paints and Coatings 1
Credit 4.3 Low-Emitting Materials - Flooring Systems 1
Credit 5 Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control 1
Credit 7.1 Thermal Comfort - Design 1
Credit 8.1 Daylight and Views - Daylight 1
Credit 8.2 Daylight and Views - Views 1


Innovation and Design Process 6 possible points
Credit 1 Innovation in Design 1-5
Credit 2 LEED Accredited Professional 1


Regional Priority 4 possible points
Credit 1 Regional Priority 1-4