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Structural Steel Contributions

toward obtaining a LEEDTM rating

uccessful sustainable design made and sustainable building projects marketplace toward more sustainable

S results from a process of in-


tegrated decision making,
beginning at project incep-
tion. Throughout every
phase of a project, it is essential to con-
sider the impact of each decision on all
other aspects of the project. This paper
can be evaluated. LEED has rapidly be-
come a design tool embraced by design-
ers and owners interested in bringing
additional value to their projects. This
paper includes overview of the LEED
system, and an outline of how the selec-
tion of a steel building structure can con-
development. It provides an accessible
and understandable framework—a rec-
ognized reference for project teams to
make decisions and evaluate the overall
performance of a sustainable building
design effort. LEED was developed by
consensus of the membership of the
provides a brief overview of sustainable tribute to a LEED rating—most USGBC, which includes companies
building design and an outline of how a significantly in the Materials & Re- from all segments of the building indus-
structural system can contribute to an sources and Innovation & Design try—a membership that has grown ex-
environmental initiative. Process categories, explained in further ponentially since 1998.
The North American building indus- detail herein. LEED is the most widely used green
try has a tremendous impact on our en- Each structural system has opportu- building rating system in the U.S. As of
vironment, and a focused green design nities and constraints when evaluated as March 12, 2003, 44 LEED certified build-
effort can bring benefits to all stakehold- a part of an environmental design effort. ings have been completed, and more than
ers. Sustainable design and construction Market demands for steel production 500 projects are registered with the
practices can bring environmental, eco- spur a significant amount of recycling, USGBC seeking LEED certification. The
nomic and social benefits that result inherently contributing to sustainable certification process requires the project
from careful consideration of resource design efforts. According to the Steel Re- team to pursue and evaluate specific cred-
use and how the building will affect the cycling Institute, 67 million tons of steel its (see www.aisc.org/sustainability), to
environment. Additional benefits could were recycled in the U.S. alone in 2001. document requirements successfully met
be reduced operational costs, higher fa- Worldwide, 400 million tons of steel for each credit, and to submit credit doc-
cility value, and increased worker pro- were recycled - one and a half times the umentation to the USGBC for review.
ductivity. amount of all other recycled materials Because the LEED rating system relies
Today, sustainability, environmental combined (including paper, glass, alu- on the project team to generate proof of
design, and green building are generally minum, and plastic). Approximately 40 compliance, LEED is considered a self-
interchangeable terms, becoming in- million tons (59% of total recycled steel) certification system.
creasingly common to the language of were derived from construction and LEED credits are organized within
building design and construction. The demolition waste, and the steel salvage six core categories: Sustainable Sites,
United Nation’s Brundtland Commis- market accounts for an additional 4 mil- Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmos-
sion Report of 1987 defines sustainable lion tons per year. Each ton of recycled phere, Materials and Resources, Indoor
development as “development that steel saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, Environmental Quality, and Innovation
meets the needs of the present without 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of and Design Process. Prerequisites within
compromising the ability of future gen- limestone.1 In addition, recycling re- several of these categories must be met
erations to meet their own needs.” Such quires less energy, creates less waste, for certification. Remaining green meas-
a broad statement does not provide a and releases less pollutants than pro- ures form an à la carte system of points,
datum against which business practices, ducing the same amount of steel from including both proven practices and
design solutions and construction prac- virgin materials. Recycling, however, is
tices can be measured. Architects, engi- only one aspect of how structural steel
neers, suppliers, fabricators, and can contribute to green design efforts, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
builders need to understand how envi- and the steel frame is only one compo-
ronmental design practices impact the nent of the overall structural system. OWP/P performed the research for
design and construction industry. this paper. Contributors include:
Fortunately, The U.S. Green Building LEED RATING SYSTEM David Eckmann AIA, S.E., P.E.
Council (USGBC) has developed the The LEED rating system is designed Tom Harrison AIA, S.E., P.E.
LEEDTM (Leadership in Energy and En- for new and existing commercial, insti- Rand Ekman AIA
vironmental Design) Green Building tutional, industrial, and multi-story res-
Rating System. This tool provides a idential buildings. Its purpose is to set Michelle Halle Stern AIA, P.E., a
framework under which building de- an industry standard for green build- consultant to OWP/P, was a signifi-
sign and construction decisions can be ings, and in doing so, help drive the cant contributor to this paper.

May 2003 (rev. 2/04) • Modern Steel Construction


emerging technologies. A brief descrip- LEED version 2.1 allows for a maxi- LEED Version 2.1 is intended to simplify
tion of the categories follows: mum of 69 possible points. Depending required documentation by providing
Sustainable Sites: Thoughtful site upon the total number of points project teams a series of letter templates
selection is important to preserving or achieved, a building can be classified as to be printed on company letterhead
restoring local ecology. Site selection can Certified (26-32 points), Silver (33-38 and signed by a team member certifying
also influence credits that may not seem points), Gold (39-51points) or Platinum that the requirements have been met.
directly related to the site. For example, a (52 or more points). As with any inte- The fill-in-the-blank documents prompt
site close to public transit or in an already grated design tool, the earlier LEED is team members for information and com-
developed area helps reduce the amount considered in the design process, the pute whether a particular credit has
of driving by the building’s occupants. easier it will be to achieve certification. been achieved. The USGBC reserves the
Possible points in this category are 14. Project teams may find that pursuing right to audit credits on any submission
Water Efficiency: According to the one credit may make it difficult or im- to confirm backup information and will
Worldwatch Institute, buildings account possible to achieve another. It is not pos- determine accepted and declined cred-
for one-sixth of fresh water withdrawals. sible to achieve all 69 points. its, or if additional documentation is
Water is used in the manufacture of Many project teams that have uti- necessary.
building components and in building lized the LEED system believe there is
operation. LEED offers credits for water little, if any, additional construction cost LEED MATERIALS AND
efficient fixtures and landscape materials required to obtain the LEED Certified RESOURCES
that do not require irrigation. Possible level. However, as with any effort that While the rating system is set up to
points in this category are 5. brings additional value, additional costs evaluate an entire project in a holistic
Energy and Atmosphere: This cate- may result, depending to some degree manner (not simply material selection),
gory encompasses a number of strate- on the targeted certification level. These as a building material, structural steel
gies to help reduce energy use and costs could result from additional proj- can make the largest contribution to a
protect the ozone layer. Credits are ect team fees (managing the LEED effort LEED rating in this category. All materi-
given for using renewable energy and and assembling the documentation for als selected for a project are evaluated
purchasing green power. A credit for submission to the USGBC), as well as in- based upon performance criteria, either
Fundamental Building Systems Com- creased construction costs. by weight or cost, depending on the
missioning and Measurement & Verifi- The certification process is relatively credit. The structural system can be a
cation helps to ensure a building simple. Any member of the project team significant portion of the cost or weight
operates as designed. Possible points in can register a project with the USGBC, of the building materials and con-
this category are 17. although discounts are available for tributes to points for almost every credit
Materials and Resources: The main USGBC members. Once a project is reg- in this LEED category.
objective of this category is to conserve istered, the project team is given access
Credit 1. Building Reuse
raw materials and resources, such as fos- to the online LEED Reference Guide and
(2 possible points)
sil fuels. Methods include increasing re- credit rulings from past projects. Be-
Building reuse enables development
cycling and recycled content, diverting cause no two projects are alike, situa-
within existing buildings and previ-
material from landfills, and reducing tions will arise that do not explicitly
ously developed areas, maintaining
travel distances for material transport. follow the listed requirements. In such a
proximity to existing infrastructure and
Structural steel can typically make the situation, the project team should first
preserving open space. Materials that
greatest contribution within this cate- review the Intent of each LEED credit, as
would have been utilized for a new
gory. Possible points in this category are described in the Reference Guide. If the
building are conserved, and the environ-
13. situation meets the Intent of a particular
mental impacts from the transport of
Indoor Environmental Quality: Be- credit, the project team can pursue the
those materials are also eliminated. Usu-
cause Americans spend 90% of their credit. If the project team is attempting
ally, the owner’s decision to reuse is
time indoors, the indoor environment to obtain a credit, yet does not find a
based upon a real estate evaluation, ren-
has a large impact on health and pro- precedent for its situation, the online
ovation costs, and square footage re-
ductivity. Issues related to this include credit rulings (USGBC’s formal answer
quirements.
occupant comfort, air quality, thermal to a question submitted from a previous
In the LEED rating system, if 75% of
comfort, and access to daylight. Possible project team) can be consulted to see if
the building structure and shell (exclud-
points in this category are 15. another project team has posted a simi-
ing windows) is preserved, the project
Innovation and Design Process: lar question. If the credit rulings do not
earns one point. Structure includes
The USGBC recognizes LEED is a rela- address the situation, a credit interpre-
foundations, slabs, and basement walls.
tively new system and provides this cat- tation can be submitted. Each project is
If 100% of the building structure and
egory to recognize the innovative entitled to two free credit interpreta-
shell is preserved, along with 50% of the
solutions of project teams, which could tions.
walls, floors, and ceilings, the project
range from substantially exceeding the The project team submits a certifica-
earns two points.
requirements of a given credit or devel- tion package to the USGBC for review
Because the LEED templates con-
oping a completely new way to increase after construction of the project is com-
sider the volume of materials saved,
environmental responsiveness. Possible plete. The certification package must
reusing a steel frame for an entire build-
points in this category are 5. include documentation to prove require-
ing can be advantageous. When a build-
ments have been met for each credit.

Modern Steel Construction • May 2003 (rev. 2/04)


ing is reused, it often must serve a com- of steel product. Lastly, the production more common in project specifications
pletely new function, requiring modifi- of steel structural shapes is completed when LEED certification for a project is
cations to the structure due to changes through a method of continuous casting, being pursued.
in loading conditions and relocated whereby materials transform directly The equations for calculating recy-
floor openings. Steel structures are more from liquid form to near final shape. cled steel content favor post-consumer
likely to be reused than other structures (Prior to continuous casting, steel was recycled content as opposed to post-in-
because they can be easily and cost ef- first made into square ingots and then dustrial recycled content. Process scraps
fectively modified and reinforced, al- reheated to roll beams, a process that re- that can easily be used as feedstock are
lowing flexibility and adaptability for quired more energy and significantly not considered recycled content. Calcu-
the building’s new use. more time.) Currently, the relatively low lations for this credit can be confusing
cost for new steel does not favor the sal- and were modified in Version 2.1 to be-
Credit 2. Construction Waste Recy-
vage and reuse of structural steel mem- come less complicated. Because many
cling (2 possible points)
bers in building projects.4 projects that were previously registered
Commercial construction generates be-
In cases where steel is reused, it often continue to work with LEED 2.0, we
tween two and two and one-half
occurs on the job site where the laws of have described the calculations for both
pounds of solid waste per square foot2 .
supply and demand dictate how con- versions.
LEED defines construction waste as
struction and waste haulers will dispose Under LEED 2.0 (for one point) the
both demolition waste and waste as a
of a particular material. Although un- value of recycled content materials had
by-product of construction. As landfill
common, steel salvage can occur when to comprise at least 25% of the total
space becomes more scarce, the cost to
structures are relocated. One example of value of materials on the project, with at
dump wastes, tipping fees, etc. become
complete reuse of a steel system is least 20% post-consumer recycled con-
more expensive. To avoid these higher
Beaver Stadium at Penn State Univer- tent or 40% post-industrial recycled con-
costs, diverting as much waste as possi-
sity. In this instance, the entire building tent in aggregate using a weighted
ble proves beneficial. To achieve this
was relocated from one end of the cam- average per the following equation:
credit, waste can be diverted by recy-
pus to the other. Recycled Recycled post- post-
cling or reusing. Points are awarded for content = content value × consumer % + industrial %
diverting 50% (1 point) or 75% (2 points) Credit 4. Recycled Content value of the material 20% 40%
of waste as calculated by weight or vol- (2 possible points)
If a material exceeded 20% post-con-
ume. As mentioned earlier, steel is the The greatest advantage of steel con-
sumer recycled content or 40% post-in-
most recycled material in the world, en- struction is its contribution to recycled
dustrial recycled content, it was
suring that virtually any steel on a con- content. Steel production can occur
rewarded with a higher value. For ex-
struction site can be recycled or reused. through one of two processes. The basic
ample, $100,000 worth of steel with 64%
oxygen furnace (BOF) process uses 25%-
Credit 3. Resource Reuse post-consumer recycled content and
35% existing steel to make new steel.
(2 possible points) 30% post-industrial recycled content
The electric arc furnace (EAF) process
LEED awards points for using 5% (1 would be equivalent to $395,000 worth
uses almost 100% existing steel. In the
point) to 10% (2 points) salvaged or re- of material. A second point would be
U.S., the structural steel industry has
furbished materials (by cost), relative to achieved if the total value of recycled
embraced the EAF process for the pro-
the total cost of materials for the project. content was 50% of the total value of
duction of steel for structural shapes,
This credit encourages the use of exist- materials for the project.
along with the continuous casting
ing materials, as energy is required to Version 2.1 eliminates the weighted
method. All three U.S producers of
produce new materials regardless of average and offers two options for cal-
structural shapes W14×43 and larger use
whether they are extracted from recy- culating recycled content. The first op-
the EAF process. According to the Steel
cled or virgin stock. tion is for post-consumer recycled
Recycling Institute, the post-consumer
While it is possible to return steel to content to comprise at least 5% of the
recycled content (steel that has previ-
a fabricator at the end of a building’s total value of materials on the project.
ously been used in another consumer
useful life, it is much more common to The second is for all the post-consumer
product—automobile, refrigerator, etc.)
recycle steel. Innovations in the produc- recycled content plus ½ of the post-in-
is 64%, and post-industrial recycled con-
tion process have resulted in a 35% de- dustrial recycled content to equal 10% of
tent (steel that is waste/surplus of an-
cline in steel material costs between the value of all materials on the project.
other industrial production process) is
1983 and 1998. Therefore, even with in- As with the Version 2.0 method, if these
30%.5
creased costs in fabrication and con- quantities are doubled another point is
LEED requires documentation veri-
struction labor within the same time available.
fying which steel production process
frame, the net change in the cost of in- Using the Nucor-Yamato Steel Com-
was used for the steel on the project.
stalled structural steel within the 15- pany breakdown as an example,
AISC’s website contains letters from the
year period is 0%.3 Furthermore, the $100,000 worth of steel is calculated as
largest U.S. structural steel producers,
energy required to produce new steel follows. This credit does not consider
certifying recycled content from their fa-
has decreased 45% over the last 25 the 10% in-house crops and pit scrap as
cilities. This letter can be accessed at
years1, largely due to improvements in recycled content. Therefore the total re-
www.aisc.org/ sustainability. The re-
yield. Before, 100 tons of raw material cycled content must be considered to be
quirement for this type of letter to be
produced 60 tons of steel product, and over 80% rather than over 90%. The con-
produced by a fabricator is becoming
now, the same 100 tons produces 90 tons tribution of structural steel in this exam-

May 2003 (rev. 2/04) • Modern Steel Construction


ple to the overall project goal of 10% of scrap. Steel mills typically acquire million cubic feet (making it easier to
the materials value is: scrap from brokers, who obtain materi- heat and cool) and weighs over 950
als from projects and products tons less than competing solutions.8
% of post- % of post- Value of Value of Recycled
consumer industrial post-con- post-indus- value: throughout the country, which are se- 3. Recyclability. Utilizing a high per-
sumer (A) trial (B) A+(B/2)
lected based upon metallurgical needs centage of steel, such as a steel plate
75% 5% $75,000 $5,000 $77,500 and cost. For example, Nucor-Yamato shear wall, maximizes the amount of
uses nine to 12 different types of fer- materials in a building that can be re-
For a project where the total value of rous scrap, classified in various grada- cycled in the future. If the building is
materials is $1,000,000 (C) and steel is tions including: #1, #2, tin plate dismantled in a later project, the
the only recycled content material (un- bundles, shredded, municipal, cast LEED Construction and Demolition
likely), compliance with LEED require- iron, plate, structural, and turnings. Waste Credits could be achieved.
ments is as follows: The David Joseph Company, its pri- 4. Deconstruction. Structural steel can
Post-consumer value as a Post-consumer plus half mary supplier, obtains 85% of its mate- be welded or bolted. If the structure
% of total value of post-industrial value as rial from domestic sources. However, is designed with bolted connections,
(A/C) % of total value (B/C)
there is no way to track where the raw thus allowing it to be easily disas-
7.5% which is more than 7.75% which is more than materials for a particular piece of steel sembled, it is more likely that mem-
5% but less than 10% 5% but less than 10%
came from, making this second point bers can be reused on other projects.
Because structural steel is not a com- difficult to achieve. Werner Sobek, a recognized German
posite material, the recycled content is structural engineer, has utilized this
simply the percentage of recycled steel LEED INNOVATION & DESIGN philosophy extensively. His resi-
in the new product. For composite mate- PROCESS dence at Römerstrasse 128 (Stuttgart)
rials like concrete, the recycled content Structural steel can also impact cred- is designed so that the entire steel
of the assembly must first be deter- its earned in this category. Up to four structure can be disassembled and
mined by dividing the weight of the re- points can be awarded in this category reused.9
cycled content by the total weight of for strategies that go above and beyond 5. Structure as Plumbing. The Greater
material in the item, then multiplying what is required in the 64 core credits, London Authority building, de-
the resulting percentage by the total either by a completely new idea or by signed by architect Foster and Part-
value of the item. greatly exceeding the requirement from ners, used HSS structure members in
an existing LEED credit. A separate the atrium. Hot water runs through
Credit 5. Local/Regional Materials
point is available for having a LEED Ac- the members, creating a giant radia-
(2 possible points)
credited Professional on the project. tor. This is an example of true inte-
For the first part of this credit, LEED re-
While the USGBC does list credit inter- grated design and economy of
quires materials to be manufactured
pretation rulings for specific requests materials.10
within 500 miles of the project site.
submitted by registered projects, they
Manufacturing refers to the final as-
have not yet published a list of specific COMPARISONS BETWEEN
sembly of components into the build-
ideas for Innovation & Design Process STEEL AND CONCRETE
ing product that is furnished and
that have been accepted on certified In order to better understand the im-
installed by the tradesmen. A February
projects. The following are suggestions pact of structural material selection on
2004 credit interpretation ruling estab-
that may qualify for innovation points. LEED certification, a survey was con-
lished that, for structural steel, the fab-
1. Structure as finish. It is possible to ducted of the LEED certified buildings
rication shop is considered the location
expose a steel structure and avoid in- to date. The survey identified the mate-
where the final manufacture of the
stalling finish products such as ceil- rial for the primary structural system
product occurred. Fabricators cut steel
ing tiles or drywall. Any time a for each project by speaking directly
members to their appropriate length,
product is eliminated, the energy to with the architect and/or structural en-
punch or drill holes, weld on connec-
extract, produce, install, and dispose gineer of record. A total of 44 projects
tion plates, and add the necessary cam-
of that product is saved. were surveyed—the complete list of
ber to members. Fabricators may also
2. Light-weight materials. Steel is nat- LEED certified projects as of March 12,
build the steel into standard assem-
urally light in weight, making it ben- 2003. A summary table of these survey
blies, such as trusses or frames. Steel
eficial for girders can also be used results can be accessed at www.aisc.org/
fabricators are available within 500
compositely with floor systems to re- sustainability.
miles of any location in the United
duce weight of the structural system. Steel buildings represent a large por-
States and the use of local fabricators
Based upon past credit rulings, in tion of this group, exceeding their mar-
fosters local economies for the product,
order to achieve this credit, the proj- ket share representation among building
which reinforces the intent of the
ect team must clearly describe a con- construction projects throughout the
credit.
ventional building for a baseline and U.S. Buildings in which steel framing is
The second point of this credit is
then demonstrate significant savings. the primary structural system comprise
available for raw materials extracted or
The Utah Olympic Oval, for exam- 50% of the LEED certified buildings.
harvested within 500 miles of the proj-
ple, uses an innovative cable suspen- When projects with more than one struc-
ect site. For steel, this credit refers to
sion system to support a very tural system are considered (mixed sys-
the location where the metal served its
shallow steel truss roof. This design tems), structural steel is included in 68%
last useful purpose before it became
reduces the total arena volume by 2.6 of the LEED certified projects. Structural

Modern Steel Construction • May 2003 (rev. 2/04)


steel has successfully been employed
across a wide variety of building type, Table 1. Comparison of Possible LEED points for
building size, and geographic location Steel Frame vs. Concrete Frame Construction
in LEED-certified projects. LEED™ Category Steel Frame Concrete Frame Other Considerations

While those surveyed indicated that Sustainable Sites

structural systems were selected based Stormwater Not relevant Not relevant Special concrete pavement
Management mixes that are pervious
upon a variety of criteria, including ini- allow stormwater to infiltrate
(2 possible points)
tial cost, serviceability, building type, rather than creating runoff

bay size, and geographic location, they Reduce Heat Islands Not relevant Not relevant Concrete’s light color
(2 possible points) reflects heat instead of
also frequently cited the advantages of absorbing it
using structural steel when seeking Energy and Atmosphere

LEED certification, especially contribu- Energy Optimization Not relevant Not relevant Concrete cladding and
(10 possible points) flooring contributes to
tions to the percentage of recycled mate- thermal mass and may
rials used for a project. provide energy savings.
Materials and Resources
Table 1 evaluates the contributions
Building Reuse Steel buildings are flexible Concrete buildings can be
major structural building materials and adaptable and easily reused, but it is more
(2 possible points)
(steel and concrete) could make to a reinforced. challenging and costly.

LEED design effort. The table demon- Construction Waste Steel is consistently Concrete is consistently
Management recycled or salvaged crushed and reused as fill
strates that material selection also has (2 possible points) material. Steel rebar is
an impact in areas not directly related to removed and recycled.
Resource Reuse Structural steel can be re- Due to its monolithic
the building’s structural system (note fabricated and reused nature, cast-in-place
(2 possible points)
Other Considerations column). concrete affords little
opportunity for salvage
and reuse
CONCLUSION Recycled Content Steel has close to 100% Recycled content typically
Each structural system brings bene- (2 possible points) recycled content from applies to only the cement
scrap steel. portion of concrete and
fits to different LEED credits. A clear en- the steel reinforcing bars.
In some cases fly ash can
vironmental advantage to either a steel be substituted for up to
frame or a concrete frame is not clear in 50% of the cement.

regard to the LEED certification process. Local/Regional Locally manufactured, but Both locally manufactured
Materials not locally extracted and locally extracted
LEED is a performance standard, not a (2 possible points) materials are available. materials are available.
prescriptive standard. It does not favor Innovation and Design Process
one structural system over another. (4 possible points for The following ideas may Exposing structure and thus
Innovation) apply: using fewer materials may
As LEED certification becomes more apply.
popular among design professionals Exposing structure.
and building owners, further studies of
Using composite
the relationship between primary struc- members.
tural material and LEED certification
Design for future
will be possible. In the meantime, struc- recyclability.
tural steel remains a strong option,
Designing for
which can bring a variety of advantages deconstruction.
to environmental design and a LEED Using structure for
plumbing.
certification effort.
An integrated design process that
thoughtfully considers the implications References
of the structural system on other build-
ing systems, and its impact on the envi- 1. Heenan, Bill, Steel Recycling Institute, Recycling Institute, www.recycle-steel.org/
ronmental design effort, will bring value phone conversation, February 24, 2003. leed/leed.pdf, March 2002.
to the project, the owner, the user and, in
2. LEED Reference Package Version 2.0, U.S. 6. “Availability of Structural Steel Shapes,”
a broader sense, to the community. ★
Green Building Council, June 2001. Modern Steel Construction, January 2003.
RESOURCES 3. Carter, Charles J., Murray, Thomas M., 7. Engestrom, Michael, Nucor-Yamato Steel,
For further information please see Thornton, William A., “Economy in Steel,” phone conversation, March 3, 2003.
the following resources: Modern Steel Construction, April 2000. 8. “Utah Olympic Oval,” Modern Steel Con-
www.aisc.org/sustainability 4. Webster, Mark D., “The Use of Salvaged struction, July 2002.
www.recycle-steel.org Structural Materials in New Construction,” 9. Gore, Violet, “Crystal Box: House, Stuttgart,
www.usgbc.org International Green Building Conference Germany,” Architectural Review, September
and Expo, Austin, Texas, November 14, 2001.
2002.
10. “Good Design No Longer Needs the ‘Green’
5. LEED Documentation of Recycled Content Modifier,” Architectural Record, February
for Steel Building Material Products, Steel 2003.

May 2003 (rev. 2/04) • Modern Steel Construction

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