Green Report - pages

REDUCE CARBON & REDUCE COSTS

How conveyors can help reduce your on-site carbon footprint – and costs

“WE ARE ABOUT TO

WITNESS WHAT HAS BEEN

DESCRIBED AS ONE OF

THE BIGGEST CHANGE

MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

THE INDUSTRY HAS FACED

SINCE VICTORIAN TIMES”

CONTENTS

4/ FOREWORD

6/ PUSHING THE PLANS FORWARD

8/ CONSTRUCTION SITE CARBON REDUCTION

10/ IMPROVEMENTS USING CONVEYOR TECHNOLOGY

12/ THE RIGHT CONVEYOR SOLUTION

14/ SOLUTIONS FROM SOUTHERN CONVEYORS

REDUCE CARBON & REDUCE COSTSThe construction industry is going through massive changes. Technologies, new products and solutions are revolutionising the ways things have traditionally been done.

There has also been a huge move towards energy efficiency over the last few years, which as part of the ‘Climate Change Act’, has cascaded down from energy efficient buildings, to energy efficient construction sites in a drive to reduce overall carbon emissions from the built environment.

This paper discusses the background to the drive towards efficiency and reduced carbon, along with the long term benefits and opportunities available to UK Construction. It also restates the on-site improvements suggested by The Green Construction Board. The paper then goes on to present how implementing those changes, including the use on on-site conveyor systems can contribute to overall improvements in not just carbon output and energy efficiency, but construction site efficiency in general.

FOREWORD

REDUCE CARBON & REDUCE COSTS / PAGE 4

70%

GLOBAL MARKET GROWTH

The global construction

market is forecast to grow

by over 70% by 2025

Energy and fuel used on construction sites accounts for up to 33% of total carbon emissions from the UK’s construction industry.

According to The Green Construction Board, energy and fuel used on construction sites accounts for up to 33% of total carbon emissions from UK’s construction industry.

The Green Construction Board is a consultative forum set up in 2011 to provide co-ordinated leadership on issues contained in the Government’s ‘Low Carbon Construction Action Plan’ and ‘Construction 2025 – an industrial strategy for construction’.

‘Construction 2025’ is part of the ‘Government Construction Strategy’ in which the Government outlined its commitment to helping develop, promote and move UK construction forward with a set of strategies and initiatives, some of which are already in place and proving beneficial.

The reason the Government is working closely with the construction sector is because Britain has a strong competitive edge in construction with world-class expertise in architecture, design and engineering. British companies are also leading the way in sustainable construction solutions.

According to ‘Construction 2025’, the sector has considerable growth opportunities within the global market, which is forecast to grow by over 70% by 2025.

This is why the Government is involved so closely with industry; to make sure that British companies are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities available to deliver the predicted growth and put Britain at the forefront of global construction over the coming years. By implementing the strategies put

forward, the results will be a greatly enhanced global image of UK designers, contractors and product manufacturers, which will translate into winning more projects, growth opportunities and increased employment.


80%PUSHING THE PLANS FORWARDUK construction is a key contributor to the overall growth of Britain and it is also critical to the achievement of UK climate change targets set out in ‘The Climate Change Act 2008’.

The Act sets a statutory target of achieving a reduction in carbon dioxide levels that are 80% below those of 1990, by 2050 – with an interim target of 34% by 2020.

Since half of the country’s carbon emissions come from the energy used in construction, occupying and operating buildings, a high standard of energy efficiency within construction is therefore vital to achieving these targets.

The Green Construction Board are leading the way on the strategies outlined in ‘Construction 2025’ to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment by 2025. They state that there are real business opportunities and growth prospects to be had by reducing emissions and that ‘reducing carbon reduces costs’.

CARBON REDUCTION TARGETS

The Climate Change Act

2008 sets a statutory

target of achieving a

reduction in carbon

dioxide levels that are

80% below those

of 1990, by 2050


The Government’s mandate is that all public sector centrally procured construction projects will be delivered using BIM by 2016.

There have been numerous task forces, committees, forums, working groups and industry bodies involved in the issues of emissions, sustainability and reforms within the built environment; along with significant reports produced by Government and industry over the last few years.

And this is what has contributed to the development of the strategies and initiatives put forward by the Government’s ‘Construction 2025’ report and The Green Construction Board’s commitment to leading the process moving forward. It’s all about making the most of the opportunities available to UK construction, whilst encompassing obligations to reducing carbon emissions within the Climate Change Act.

Apart from the obvious reasons for the Government’s involvement in pushing forward UK construction;

growth, employment and sustainability, the public sector also has a vested interest in that it is responsible for procuring around 30% of the construction industry’s output, both directly and indirectly. This puts the Government in a powerful position to help enable the changes necessary. The Government has also stated that savings made through more efficient and structured processes will provide more money for investment in future construction projects.

The Government has already committed to the ‘Building Information Modelling (BIM) Programme’, which they see as opportunity to give the UK a competitive advantage in construction services primarily; engineering, architecture and activities associated with low-carbon built environment solutions. BIM is a digital collaboration

tool that provides process and product efficiencies through data-enabled ways of working. It’s a Government programme focused on the adoption of BIM technology by both public and private sector organisations involved in the procurement and delivery of buildings and infrastructure. It enables intelligent decisions to be made about construction methodology, safer working arrangements and greater energy efficiency leading to carbon reductions.

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) is assisting with leading the BIM programme and helping the supply chain gear up for the Government’s mandate that all public sector centrally procured construction projects will be delivered using BIM by 2016. More information is available on the website: www.bimtaskgroup.org.


CONSTRUCTION SITE CARBON REDUCTIONTaking on-board these wider construction industry objectives of making the most of the growth opportunities available over the ensuing years, along with the cost savings available through improved processes and proce-dures, and the commitment to carbon reduction, how does this translate to construction site?

We already know that a construction site can be an adversarial environ-ment with a reluctance to change the ways ‘things are done’. But with all the strategies and initiatives being driven forward and the adoption of these by many of the construction industry’s big players, we are about to witness what has been described as one of the biggest change management programmes the industry has faced since Victorian times.

And with the adoption of new working policies by the big construction companies, it is expected that these will cascade down to smaller compa-nies who will also start to embrace change too.

However, to say the commitment to change is ambitious would be an understatement. UK construction is extremely diverse. It covers everything from initial concept and design through to maintenance and repair; from projects as big as nuclear power stations, to the fitting of a single electrical socket; and from global players to over a million self-employed tradesmen.


These are the steps put forward by The Green Construction Board to reduce CO2 on construction sites:

• Plan the energy requirements of a project – Produce a project energy plan early on to identify key loads from site accommodation to plant and equipment. This will help secure the best energy tariffs and minimise the size of supply required making it easier and cheaper to get early grid connection.

• Secure early, high capacity, electricity grid connection – Early communication with electricity suppliers, plus a well managed connection process will help minimise delays in establishing grid supply. This will provide a benefit of reducing the use of generators with higher energy costs and CO2 emissions.

• Deploy the right size generators – Over-size generators waste fuel and money and reduce equipment lifetimes. Separate generators for high day time and low night time demand, are often more cost-effective, despite additional hire charges.

• Manage energy in a site office efficiently – Keep windows and doors shut when heating or cooling systems are switched on. Use thermostats and timer

There are real business opportunities and growth prospects to be had by reducing emissions – ‘reducing carbon reduces costs’

controls properly, set computers and other equipment to power-down when left idle and avoid unnecessary lighting.

• Play your part in energy saving – Play your part in implementing the site energy plan encourage feedback from others on potential site energy saving opportunities.

• Install intelligent and efficient temporary electrics – Temporary electrical installation should allow automated easy control of key areas on-site to avoid wasted energy. Install circuitry, controls (including daylight sensors) and timers to enable switch off of equipment and unnecessary lighting.

• Procure low CO2 site accommodation – Site accommodation with EPC ratings of A, B or C when used efficiently, will save on heating and lighting costs – high levels of insulation will also be more cost and CO2 effective.

• Specify energy efficient plant – Procure the most energy efficient plant options and avoid use of plant with unnecessary excess capacity. Avoid leaving vehicles and plant engines idling. Consider alternatives to plant such as electric conveyor systems.

• Avoid forced drying of wet trades – Plan projects in order to avoid the need for forced drying of wet trades using heaters. If heating is unavoidable, use direct fuel heaters such as oil or gas.

• Monitor and manage energy use – Regularly monitor energy and fuel use of CO2 emissions. Knowing your baseline energy consumption may help reduce emissions and costs. Nominate a person with responsibility for leading on-site energy management activities.

Many on-site rules already encourage fuel-efficient plant operation, but there is a need for trainers, contractors and sub-contractors to reinforce these requirements.

The benefits in taking on-board these initiatives include savings in fuel costs, less noise and CO2 emissions, improved plant life and increased site safety.

The Green Construction board have already monitored and measured several significant construction projects and provide case studies of these, indicating savings achieved through ‘Sustainable Solutions’ as opposed to ‘Traditional Solutions’. For more information on these and the Green Construction Board visit: www.greenconstructionboard.org/.


IMPROVEMENTS USING CONVEYOR TECHNOLOGYWith their list of on-site recommendations, The Green Construction Board has already outlined how reductions in carbon output can be achieved

And at least two of their recommendations: to secure early electricity grid connection; and specify energy efficient plant, alone can help contribute to some of the biggest savings on-site, not just in carbon but operating costs too.

From site excavation to materials handling there are opportunities to make improvements to site efficiency just by making changes to the ways things have traditionally been done. And this is also where conveyor belt technology can help


The Government is responsible for procuring around 30% of the construction industry’s output – directly and indirectly

The dumper truck, traditionally, has always been an on-site staple when it comes to plant, certainly where excavation and materials handling are involved. But many are now realising the benefits of the conveyor as an efficient and effective alternative.

In terms of carbon, the difference between the electric conveyor and diesel driven dumper are obvious, but there are many more benefits. Conveyor belts are particularly efficient when it comes to transferring materials both into and out of construction sites where access is limited. They can operate at relatively steep inclines, through narrow passages and around and over most site obstacles. They are incredibly versatile and effective when it comes to demolition and

excavation work, and also for transferring materials such as sand, bricks and blocks.

Where traditionally these tasks have been managed manually or by dump trucks and other plant or machinery, the advantages of a conveyor belt system above the savings on carbon are capacity, speed, improved ergonomics, savings on labour and improvements on health and safety. They also help solve issues of minimizing hand distances, decreasing loads for ‘lifts, lowers and carries’; decreasing the overall frequency of tasks, plus the distance needed for ‘carries, pushes and pulls’.

Conveyor belt systems have been popular within the ‘niche’ basement

Conveyor Belt Technology vs The Dumper Truck

construction market for a number of years. But increasingly and since the introduction of modular, manoeuvrable and towable conveyor belt solutions, they have now begun to make regular appearances on many building and construction sites all over the world.

Easy site installation

Modular conveyor belt systems are extremely versatile. Contrary to popular belief, they are easily installed, maintained and dismantled and can be adapted to solve numerous construction site challenges either on a short or long-term basis. They provide a level of on-site automation for tasks that have for years have been labour intensive as well as time consuming, repetitive and laborious.


THE RIGHT CONVEYOR SOLUTIONAs you would expect, not all conveyor belt solutions are the same. Given the nature of most construction sites, a system that can operate in tough environments almost goes without saying.

Otherwise you risk further downtime through breakdowns. Which suggests that whoever supplies you must be able to provide support and a fast response that keeps you up and running.

At the outset it’s also important to obtain a site survey. These are usually provided free of charge by your supplier. A site survey by an expert experienced in construction site conveyor automation, will be able to help you achieve the best solution for your particular problem. This is an important part of the process that shouldn’t be underestimated. Expert advice can help you avoid problems such as the use of numerous small conveyors on a project (with inherent labour and reliability problems), when perhaps one bespoke conveyor, properly designed and implemented could solve your problem much more efficiently.

Your supplier should also be able to provide you with relevant drawings to help get appropriate approvals and licenses.


Once the conveyor design and ergonomics have been decided, the next thing is to sort out the technicalities of the equipment. This includes decisions on usage, throughput and speed requirements, along with belt type, widths and relevant accessories. The right decisions made at this stage can also add to overall efficiency.

For example many conveyor systems are restricted to 15mm chevron patterns on their belts, which puts not only limitations on carrying capacity, but also efficiency when it comes to the conveyor belt systems working on inclines – the higher the chevron pattern, the higher the incline that is achievable with the conveyor. It is possible to incorporate belts with

a 50mm cleat on the belt or even with ‘scoop’ or ‘lip’ to enhance capacity and performance when working at angles.

These considerations may sound daunting and it is possible that going through this sort of process is what makes some site or project managers hesitant about utilising such technology, preferring to stick with how they’ve done things before and what they know. But your supplier will be able to take the problem out of your hands, right through to installation, maintenance and dismantling at the end of a project.

Making the right choice

The on-site benefits

As we’ve already pointed out, conveyor systems can help provide efficiencies on sites with restricted access, where considerable excavation and demolition work is required and where materials need to be transported from one place to another.

In these instances conveyor systems can offer a much faster solution than other generally ustilised methods. It is possible, in some cases, to shift in excess of 10 tons of materials per hour, creating further savings in manpower, machinery whilst having a knock-on effect on the time it takes to complete other related tasks – minimising downtime and waiting around.


SOLUTIONS FROM SOUTHERN CONVEYORSSouthern Conveyors are a specialist conveyor company dedicated to helping building and construction companies make improvements to their on-site efficiency, especially in challenging situations.

They provide high-powered, robust and efficient belt conveyors for temporary use in a wide variety of applications.

Not only are Southern Conveyors now established as the UK’s No.1 conveyor hire specialists, they are also the company behind the EASIKIT® brand of tough, versatile and modular conveyor solutions, which the company continues to develop and manufacture in the UK.

The Southern Conveyors service begins with a free site visit where an expert calculates which conveyors will provide the most efficient solution for your particular problem. Quotes and drawings are then provided. The drawings can be used to obtain licenses if required.

The conveyors are then delivered to site by dedicated transport and installed professionally by skilled fitting teams. Safety is always regarded as paramount and due consideration is taken for every potential vulnerability. Sites are also provided with all necessary site documentation.

Following installation, the Southern Conveyors engineer’s follow-up with regular planned maintenance visits to ensure that everything is running smoothly and any potential problems apprehended early. If there are any problems, these are responded to quickly. Finally, once the system is no longer required, a team returns to quickly and efficiently remove the conveyors.

Expertise based on experience

The diversity of Southern Conveyors expertise is reflected in their experience with both domestic and high profile commercial projects. The EASIKIT® system has been a firm favourite for many years on a large number of London basement and demolition projects, demonstrating EASIKIT’S versatility in restricted areas and confined spaces.

But Southern Conveyors has also proved itself as a company that can satisfy the demanding requirements of larger corporate contractors working on high profile and ‘mission-critical’ projects such as the Cross Rail and the London 2012 Olympics.

PROJECTS INCLUDE:

• Heathrow Terminal 5

• Jubilee Line Extension

• Drax Power Station

• Wembley Stadium

• St Pancras Box

• CTRL

• UK Supreme Court

• The Lancasters

• The Corinthia Hotel

• The Dorchester Hotel

• Crossrail

• Tottenham Court Road Station upgrade

• Bond Street Station upgrade

• 10 Trinity Square

• Debenhams House, London

• V & A Museum

• British Museum

• Project Oriana

• Sea Containers House

• Brasenose College, Oxford

• Marlborough College

• Oxford Mound Castle

• New Street Station, Birmingham

• Gainsborough Hotel, Bath

• Glastonbury Festival



Southern Conveyors

St Ivel Way, Warmley,

Bristol BS30 8TY

Tel: 0800 915 9195

[email protected]

www.southernconveyors.co.uk

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