Oolitic, Indiana, July 24, 2015 – Stone from the quarries of Indiana Limestone Company can aid architects, designers and contractors in creating buildings that achieve LEED certification. Further, the company’s expertise in LEED design and construction enables ILCO personnel to assist in the design of qualifying buildings.

According to Stephen DiRaffaele, ILCO regional sales manager for the New York metropolitan area, the selection of the firm’s limestone can earn LEED credits in nine different categories. Depending on the details of a given project, any of the following credits might be supported.

-Credit 7.1 Heat Island Effect-Non-Roof – A requirement under the Sustainability Criteria for this credit is that materials be light colored, with a solar reflectance index greater than 29. Indiana limestone qualifies.

-EA Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance – The reflective character of Indiana limestone also helps it reduce a structure’s heating and cooling costs.

-MR Credits 1.1&1.2: Building Reuse – If projects entail reusing existing structures, buildings may qualify for this credit if 75 percent to 95 percent of existing walls, floors, and roofs are retained – as is often possible with Indiana Limestone structures.

MR Credits 2.1&2.2: Construction Waste Management – Structures including Indiana limestone may make it possible to divert 50 percent to 75 percent of construction waste from disposal, as specifications for this credit require.

-MR Credits 3.1&3.2: Materials Reuse – Specifications for this credit require that 5 percent to 10 percent of materials be reusable through salvage or other types of reuse, percentages often met when Indiana limestone is used in construction.

-MR Credits 5.1&5.2: Regional Materials – Materials originating within 500 miles of a job site must be used for at least 10 percent of a project under the specifications for this credit. For vast sections of the American heartland, Indiana limestone lies well within this radius.

-ID Credit 1: Innovative Design – Indiana limestone has a proven record of contributing to innovative green design, and can well be part of a project that earns this credit.

-LEED Canada Credit 8: Durable Building – Along any of three possible compliance paths, Indiana limestone has the potential to contribute to earning this credit.

“LEED is transforming the way people think about how buildings and communities are designed, constructed, maintained and operated across the globe,” DeRaffaele said. “Because it’s extracted with relative ease, Indiana limestone adds little to the already low energy inputs of its workability. Indiana limestone has shown that it withstands the test of time, and when decommissioned can be reused or returned harmlessly to the earth.”

About Indiana Limestone Co.
Indiana Limestone Company is unmatched as the premier supplier of Indiana Limestone in a range of beautiful and lasting building products. Founded in 1926 (with predecessor firms that had been quarrying limestone since the mid-1800s), ILCO today remains the provider of choice for this internationally renowned natural stone. Throughout an illustrious history in which its stone has made such iconic structures as the Empire State Building, National Cathedral, and the Pentagon, ILCO has reliably provided the highest quality products and services carefully tailored to the needs of the market with an environmental, natural focus.