Design and construction good practice pointers

Issue area

Good practice guidance

Use of non-primary materials

Creative approaches should be adopted to identify the potential for use of non-primary materials in higher value applications.

Efforts should be made to find effective technical solutions (e.g. appropriate recycling equipment) for the use of non-primary materials as construction products.

Ex-situ recycling processes can be used to improve quality where greater engineering control is required and where limited space is available on site.

Use of non-primary materials should be encouraged over primary materials.

Use of site-won material should be encouraged over imported materials.

Research into the properties and possible applications of non-primary materials to identify opportunities for the replacement of primary materials should be encouraged.

Deconstruction

Deconstruction processes rather than demolition should be adopted so as to improve the quality, diversity and quantity of site-won materials and maximise the options for re-use and recycling.

By adoption of the principle of design for deconstruction / disassembly, long term recycling hence limited environmental impact ambitions can be achieved.

Design for deconstruction / dismantling should consider re-use of components and materials

Future requirements / ability to re-configure / refurbish should be considered in design so as to reduce requirements for demolition / dismantling

Company practice

Long term, multiple-project, partnering agreements can lead to more efficient design and construction, minimising generation of waste and re-work. They also enable more sophisticated work processes to be put in place and facilitate greater understanding within the workforce.

Early contractor involvement can lead to realistic programming and positive working relations.

Future usage / demand should be considered during the design stage to prolong life of buildings / infrastructure.

Support and enthusiasm for waste minimisation and recycling initiatives must come from the top down.

All managers must believe waste is an issue in order for site schemes to work and technical and people-related barriers should be addressed.

Working procedures should be revised to include material management.

Change management techniques such as awareness raising and training will need to be implemented in order to facilitate adoption of resource productivity methods.

KPIs should be identified to help improve recycling performance and overall sustainability of the process.

Resource sustainability and reuse of non-primary materials should be recognised as an element in lean construction methodologies.

By moving from process to performance specifications within contracts and using standardized items, the potential for recycling and minimising waste is increased.

Local approaches

Proper understanding of planning processes will lead to better understanding of the prospects for recycling.

Long term partnering agreements between client and contractor will enable development of agreements with local suppliers

Stakeholder consultation will help to identify effective solutions at the earliest stages of the project, minimising abortive effort in both design and construction.

Local sources of labour and materials should be identified so as to minimise environmental impact and support the local community.

Quantification and cost

Careful consideration should be paid to ensure the project brief reflects the clients requirements. This will minimise late revisions to the contract, costly changes, and abortive work – which results in material waste.

Use of site-won and non-primary material avoids the need for purchase of primary materials and therefore provides cost benefits.

Transport costs and staff overheads can be minimised by using local sources of labour and materials.

A cost comparison between dealing with waste and recycling will lead to a greater understanding of the advantages of recycling and waste minimisation.

Disposal costs due to Landfill Tax can be minimised by segregation of different waste arisings.

Sustainable procurement and construction approaches will open opportunities for resource optimisation and hence cost savings.

Specifications

Existing specifications can be used to encourage acceptance of technical solutions using non-primary materials.

Preference should be given to renewable materials, materials with low(er) environmental impacts and to components with high(er) proportions of recycled materials.

Care should be taken to minimise over-design and specification.

Handling of materials

Contractors should prepare Site Waste Management Plans to identify responsibilities, identify waste streams and plan for efficient materials and waste handling, with sign-up by client and sub-contractors.

Awareness raising and training of site operatives is essential if site practice is to be improved.
Material control procedures must be put in place and closely managed.

Subcontractors should be made aware of the relevant site management techniques and practices operating on site.

Materials should be segregated/ graded and where possible processed on site to facilitate re-use and minimise generation of waste and demand for primary materials.

Site materials should be quantified and categorised into main groupings in order to identify the options for recycling.

Waste arrisings should be segregated so as to identify the options for re-use vs. disposal.