Earth Systems is committed to an active role in green building and sustainability. We accomplish this by exploring new ideas and concepts. We strive to understand and respond to our clients’ needs. Earth Systems also makes a priority to adapt to new technologies. These practices further the goal of creating healthful environments.

Green building and sustainability results from a comprehensive project design. It focuses on increasing the efficient use of natural resources while attempting to reduce the impact of development on humans and the environment during the lifetime of the project. As geoprofessionals, Earth Systems contributes to this effort by providing vital geotechnical, geologic, hydrogeologic, and materials engineering expertise to green building projects from the ground up.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®)
The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) certification program, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®), sets criteria for green building.

The concepts of efficient utilization of resources such as water, soil, energy, and building materials are crucial for future sustainability. They challenge designers to look for uncommon solutions to common problems. While these may result in benefits from a green perspective they can also present challenges from a geotechnical perspective. This has given rise to the need for geoprofessionals to address the potential geotechnical impacts green practices may have on projects, particularly at the beginning stages of the design process.

From a geotechnical and construction materials engineering standpoint, there are numerous measures that can be incorporated into a project to reduce its environmental and cultural impact. These include:

  • taking advantage of natural site topography and favorable soil and groundwater conditions during site selection;
  • reuse and recycling of existing construction materials;
  • incorporating designs for retaining stormwater onsite, and
  • designing systems for treatment of wastewater onsite.

Renewable and Alternative Energies
Earth Systems supports the development of renewable and alternative energies: solar, wind, and geothermal. Earth Systems offers a broad spectrum of geoprofessional expertise to developers, municipalities, and utility providers to further the expansion of these green energies.

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