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45 Millharbour is one of the few sites in the UK that contains Jersey Cudweed – a protected species of wild plant which was found growing naturally on the site prior to the project commencing. In order to protect this species, the project team set up an action plan with an ecologist from Greengage to ensure that the plant was…
Water monitoring for suspended solids and basic chemistry is common practice across construction but due to sensitivity of the environment (working above source protection zone 1), this contractor implemented a detailed water monitoring plan to analyse a larger suite of physical and chemical parameters (>50 individual parameters per sample) than required by environmental consents. Almost 8000 samples have been collected…
Sites have a responsibility to manage the environment. Construction sites can cause disturbance to the local ecosystem both during and long after completion. It is therefore important to manage this issue and reduce the impact as much as possible. Sites should even further their actions and help enhance the environment, supporting the local area in the future. The below example…
To provide a validated chain of custody for timber materials from source to site, Mace worked with the client, architect and design team at 5 Broadgate to achieve Project FSC Certification. This was undertaken voluntarily, beyond original sustainability requirements specified for the project. Project FSC certification represents best practice in responsible sourcing of timber, as at the end of 2015,…
As part of their sustainability responsibility on this project and their desire for the healthiest workplace for their employees, the contractor set out to investigate the range of available low emitting raw materials, adhesives, finishes and finishing products and put these together to provide a certified method for achieving low emitting veneered and painted panels. These emissions include recognised prolonged…
This contractor work with a specialist supplier to developed a solution that removed the white corrosion from the galvanised MEP first fix. The solution was to use a rock salt de-icer, rather than an ice melt chemical de-icer. This de-icer was used to de-ice the buffalo board to the southern gantry. The contractor and specialist contractor then undertook trials to…
The project team are involved in a joint venture, in an element of research to measure the load experienced in two of the largest piles on the project. The purpose of the research is to determine the load share between the pile and raft foundations, which can then be used to rationalise pile design on future projects in similar ground…
As part of the Bank Street development, a large scale cofferdam was constructed. These works required a significant amount of heavy civils work within the marine environment with the potential to cause significant distress to the local marine life. Upon completion of the cofferdam cell, an extensive fish relocation programme was undertaken to remove fish before the cofferdam was fully…
Construction projects must always be conscious of their ecological surroundings and make efforts to minimise their impact on local wildlife. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: The project was located on a university campus with one of the largest populations of Great Crested Newts (a protected species) in the region. Working with the university and Natural…
For the construction industry to thrive, it needs to adapt to changing demands and circumstances. Among the most critical is the need for sites to ensure that they are mindful of their impact on the environment. By doing so, the industry appears more considerate of environmental issues, thus improving the image of the whole industry. A key way that sites can…
This regeneration brownfield project required the demolition of several industrial units, this led us the contractor look into how they recycle materials such as the sheet asbestos product on the roofs. Recycling demolition asbestos is a new idea and this site was the first in the United Kingdom to use use this process. Using this method required meticulous planning to…
When trees are uprooted and subsequently get stuck along a river this can cause major issues for the ecological and environmental balance of that river. Further to flood events, a tree stuck at the Common Cauld at Hawick was holding back the free-flowing of fish in the River Teviot. When a member of the River Tweed Commission noted issues with…
To reduce the CO2 emissions of traditional asphalt paving construction this company brought together two suppliers – one with a carbon negative aggregate and one with a cold foamed bitumen asphalt – to generate savings of up to 90% compared with a traditional hot AC20 asphalt mix. The mix was used to construct a new cycle path being built as…
This contractor has been working in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast to support academic research opportunities associated with the university’s Leadership for Sustainable Development MSc course. The Research and Development Programme has produced a number of diverse research projects surrounding sustainability, which are both utilised by the company and help to fulfil the MSc degree requirements. In 2020, the research…