Black & Veatch earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for the company’s work at the Fort Bliss Company Operation Facilities (COF) in Texas. The COF represents 12 buildings at the military fort.

LEED Silver standards mandated that the buildings feature reduced water use, energy savings, and a low-impact building process and construction methods. 

Reduced water use was attained by using low-flow fixtures and waterless urinals. Energy savings were realized through using high-efficiency boilers, high-efficiency HVAC systems and evaporation coolers. The building process included the use of recycled materials, low VOC (volume of organic content) paints and a percentage of materials sourced from within 500 miles of the site. The low-impact construction methods included the recycling of 95 percent of all the construction material containers. 

According to project leaders, gaining the Silver LEED certification represented a two-year process. Black & Veatch performed its work at Fort Bliss as part of Mortenson Construction’s design/build team for the Army Corps of Engineers Forth Worth District.

LEED Silver standards mandated reduced water usage, energy savings and low-impact construction.