By Lena Babaeva Coradini

Huh? "Does Salem's Building Disaster Give LEED a Bad Name?"  What is the Salem building disaster?  Well, the LEED Certified Courthouse Square in Salem, Oregon has been declared structurally unsafe, with evacuations actively conducted for the bus service and hub for local government. 

No one knows, or is saying at least, what is causing all the structural issues. Cracked walls and ceilings are the hallmark of what appears to be a buckling post-tensioned concrete slab. The concrete was recently tested and found to not meet the specified strength. Garbage was found in the slab when samples were taken. Claims against the architect and the general contractor have already been settled, but the amounts do not come near the $30 million price tag for the building.

Although the title of the article is eyebrow raising, I don’t think it really makes a clear tie between the building’s structural issues and its LEED status.  Until such a connection can be made, it is unclear as to why structural problems of the building would give LEED a bad name?!