Community of Practice - Sustainable management of soil 2022 - 2025 (RP1140)

Construction projects can generate large imbalances of soil. Managing soil volumes has always been an important and sometimes difficult issue with the complexities of deciding what the fate of “excess” soil is, where soil can be imported from and, importantly, when surplus soil becomes defined as a waste.  

In a wider context, the soil covering the earth’s surface fulfills an important sustainability role in terms of supporting plant life, habitats and biodiversity and economic crops. The quality of the soil, e.g.  in terms of exposure or compaction can also have effects on flooding, erosion and carbon capture. 

CIRIA project, RP1124 Sustainable management of surplus soil and aggregates will produce a guidance document on sustainable management of waste soil concerning this topic. However, its focus is on the definition, classification, reuse and disposal.

This proposal is to create a community of practice which will undertake a number of activities to support long term good practice in the sustainable management of soil. It will also help the industry attain soil quality that can provide eco-systems services such as habitat support, flood risk attenuation, carbon capture etc.

Project status
This project is seeking industry input in the form of case studies and consultation.

Further information
For mote information and to get involved with this project please contact Joanne Kwan.