FedEx Freight Facility

The Project

A 31-acre farm field is the site for FedEx Freight’s LEED-certified (WDC v4), 72,444-gross-square-foot distribution center with cross-deck bays and office areas. Paladin provided LEED administration and whole building commissioning for the project.

The decision to proceed with LEED was reached later in the project.  The team engaged the LEED process aggressively to meet required deliverable timelines and LEED milestones while satisfying FedEx Freight’s design standards. To achieve maximum sustainability with minimal cost or schedule impacts, Paladin focused on system performance, materials, and occupants.

The Work

EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS  

While still providing occupant comfort throughout the office and dock areas, the prevalent usage of LED interior and exterior lighting as well as efficient electric HVAC systems allowed for a 45.6% energy cost reduction over baseline (2,090,959 kBTU/year).

The inclusion of WaterSense plumbing fixtures reduced potable water consumption by 30%, while reliance on native plantings allowed the project to remove planned irrigation systems.  The changes accounted for a savings of 478,659 gallons of water annually.

The project emphasized the embodied carbon of products selected, optimizing the foundations and building assemblies to reduce CO2.

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Considering the health and wellbeing of those working in the facility was of great importance to the FedEx Freight team. Strategies to improve air circulation in the dock areas coupled with HVAC zoning in the offices allow for greater thermal comfort. Enhanced interior lighting improves the ability of personnel to perform tasks effectively while enhancing safety. To protect personnel from fumes and contaminants, the project used a series of strategies from “no truck idling” to electric forklifts to source separation of exhaust streams to low-emitting materials. These investments will have daily impact on the lives of the team members serving FedEx Freight’s customer base.

COMMISSIONING

The project included building commissioning to ensure that energy-consuming and building enclosure systems perform to project requirements. Maintainable and operational design reviews, equipment reviews, and performance testing preceded training and legacy documentation delivery.

MATERIALS

Dovetailing with the emphasis on emissions was a focus on procuring the right materials for construction. Materials used contained Environmental Product Declarations and high levels of recycled content.  

The selection of pre-engineered metal building and standard assembly measurements was also significant. And along with a landfill diversion strategy for excess materials on site, the project was able to limit total waste to less than 10 lbs per square foot with 90% of that material diverted from the landfill.

The Impact

TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

At the end of the project, the team chose to quantify what investment in LEED strategies returned to FedEx Freight. Measures across the sustainability spectrum – Site, Emissions, IEQ, and Materials for example – were analyzed using a Triple Bottom Line Analysis. This analysis quantifies the community, occupant, and operational cost impacts for green design and construction. For the 2% additional capital invested in LEED certification, a 26% triple bottom line was returned. 

To underscore FedEx Freight’s commitment to greenhouse gas emissions reduction, over 10,325 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) were avoided through the systems and materials used in the project.