Research by topic: Sustainability and the built environment

Projects underway

Community of Practice - Driving Net Zero Carbon

This new initiative brings together sustainability practitioners from across multiple sectors and disciplines within infrastructure to help the Government drive the pathways to NZC 2050 .

Update of environmental good practice on site guide

This project will update CIRIA report C741 Environmental good practice on site guide (fourth edition). It will provide up to-date, practical guidance on delivering sustainable construction at the site level by effectively managing a range of envi

NERC Environmental Risks to Infrastructure Programme (ERIIP)

The Environmental Risks to Infrastructure Innovation Programme is a five-year, £5m initiative, which will be driven by the needs of the business community and decision-makers.

Thrust blocks on buried pressure pipelines

This project will review and update CIRIA's 1994 guide to the design of thrust blocks for buried pressure pipelines to reflect new materials - particularly polyethylene, practices and changes to standards and codes.

Guidance on enabling community maintenance for local flood risk management

This project will develop guidance on approaches to empower local community groups to undertake safe, appropriate and routine maintenance of local flood risk management infrastructure (surface water and ordinary watercourses).

Siphons in dams and other water retaining structures

This project will produce best practice guidance on the design, installation, operation, management and testing of siphons in dams.

Community of practice - Biodiversity Interest Group (BIG)

This project will create a community of practice for improving biodiversity value through a practitioners’ network focused on collaboration and sharing knowledge to enhance and improve biodiversity across transport, utilities, housing & development.

Project proposals

P3199 - Scour at bridges and other hydraulic structures phase 2 - database extension

This project will review recent experience and research and capture this information in a supplement to CIRIA's existing manual on scour at bridges and other hydraulic structures C742 (2015)

P3321 Driving Net Zero Carbon - Community of Practice

This new initiative brings together sustainability practitioners from across multiple sectors and disciplines within infrastructure to help the Government drive the pathways to NZC 2050 .

P2968 - Supporting environmental good practice on site through e-learning

CIRIA is proposing to develop a series of e-learning modules that build on the content of the fourth edition of the Environmental good practice on site guide (C741) and the existing accompanying one-day classroom training course (IEMA approved).

Expansion of environmental toolbox talks

CIRIA will liaise with CECA and Build UK to expand the suite of toolbox talks and provide up-to-date, comprehensive guidance and learning tools to the industry.

P3055 -Working with wildlife - supporting effective management on construction projects

This project will update CIRIA’s Working with wildlife: guidance for the construction industry (C691) by reflecting changes in regulation, legislation and development in practice since its publication in 2011

P3212 - Containment systems for pollution control - Phase 2

This project will produce a supplement guide to C736, drawing on the past six years worth of experience in the inspection, upgrading and repair of containment structures.

P3204 - Sea outfalls - inspection, assessment and repair

This project will produce an operators guide on the need for and the procurement or execution of survey and inspection activities together with associated repair and modifications.

P3059 - Management of invasive species - update of CIRIA guidance

This project will update CIRIA’s previous guidance and will be complemented by a series of briefings describing individual invasive species and detailing the relevant techniques to manage them.

P3164 - European Protected Species Policy

This project will review experience and lessons learned from the application of the different licencing approaches presented by the new European Protected Species Regulations. The project will gather evidence on successful innovative implementation o