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This contractor has taken part in a circular plasterboard case study in partnership with Loughborough University, ENVA and British Gypsum. The initiative is all part of an EU Horizon 2020 project, ICEBERG, which aims to improve the economic viability and market potential of end-of-life building materials. This provides designers, manufacturers, builders, and recyclers with advanced smart and technological civil engineering…

The original design required a series of concrete retaining dams to control water flow and overflow through the sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). Originally the design was to cast these in concrete on site. The first improvement was to use pre-cast lintels with a stone topping installed on site. The final iteration was to move to a fully precast unit off-site including…

The remote location of the noise and dust monitors on this project required a power source to be installed. Solar alone would not be sufficient to power them and a diesel generator used finite fossil fuels, therefore they combined a hydrogen cell with solar panels to provide enough power to run the monitors 24/7. The hydrogen used can be created…

A Northvolt battery system has been used to power the site instead of a temporary power supply and/or generators. The site will have the following power requirement during construction: 2 x tower cranes, 3 x goods hoists 6 x cabins 2 x building of 8 storey and 6 storey requiring temporary electrics including lighting to allow areas. The local grid…

This contractor is building a substation for National Grid to develop the London Power Tunnels infrastructure. To support National Grid in its transition to Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) free solutions, they have on site 7 bays of its EconiQ 420 kV Gas Insulated Switchgear to enable the transmission of electricity over long distances while eliminating SF6, in addition to EconiQ 420…

Ultilow is a range of warm mix asphalts for more sustainable road surfacing that are manufactured and supplied at lower temperatures than conventional hot mix asphalts. As a result they offer significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions of up to 15% and typically around 8-10%. They also deliver a range of site safety and productivity benefits and no compromise on…

On this development they are looking to reduce the carbon output of pouring concrete by utilising new mixes that are available from suppliers. They have recently used a new, very low carbon concrete which utilises higher blend cements with over 50% eCO2 reduction when compared to standard Portland cement (CEMI) concrete. It is essential to create strong lines of communication…

The scrubber was removed during the decontamination and demolition phase. It has been categorised as low level waste, and as a result will be taken to the LLWR. In line with the approved best available techniques (BAT) the method for disposal was to manually size-reduce the scrubber into smaller pieces and place it in a half-height ISO – playing a…

This contractor collaborated with their M&E installer to bring pre-insulated ducts to site this meant they were ready for installation into the risers, this had an environmental benefit as it reduced the need for additional packaging, transport, and manufacturing costs. This helped them to positively impact the project’s environmental footprint by reducing carbon emissions, waste generation, and energy consumption. It…

This contractor successfully introduced a dual-fuel hydrogen and diesel piling machine, installing four piles to a depth of 30 metres on the site. Using the piling rig for just 2 days, the rig saved 27 litres of diesel, which equates to a saving of 72kg of CO2. The rig, modified to operate from on-board hydrogen tanks, achieved 36% (average) displacement…

This contractor used an all-electric ready-mix concrete mixer on their project, helping them significantly on their path to net zero construction. The mixer, created in partnership with Renault Trucks and TVS Interfleet, is the first of its kind to operate anywhere in the UK with zero tailpipe emissions. This mixer has the same average capacity as a conventional diesel vehicle,…

This contractor has developed a specific Carbon Reduction toolbox talk for their workforce. This toolbox talk included practical tips and actions ranging from energy efficiency, waste management, sustainable transportation, and responsible procurement to employee and operative engagement as well as detailing the benefits of carbon reduction actions. To find out more, click the link below.

This contractor upscaled the vessel/barge crane to carry out the lift to eliminate the need for any dredging. The dredge site would have been at the location where two rivers merge. They looked the the impact both commercially and environmentally on the project and agreed that in order to reduce the impact of the works on the environment any further…

During winter when the weather is colder, you need to pour with a concrete with higher carbon content as this will allow it to cure correctly. By using heaters on slabs, this has allowed them to optimise concrete mixes. The goal is to be able to pour slabs using the summer mixes all year, therefore offering a carbon saving of…

This contractor is using Porotherm multi-cellular clay blocks, in place of the traditional concrete block, on this project. The clay blocks use a thin joint mortar system (1mm thick), and the interlocking vertical joints do not require mortar. This significantly reduces the amount of mortar required to lay the blocks – minimising water and cement usage on site and helping…