With the weather being as nice as it has been, this story we came across here at BuilderScrap, is pretty topical!  The article was on the Building.co.uk website, and discusses new research about an ancient, eco- friendly building technique.

Research reveals that having just the right amount of water is the key to maximising the strength of rammed earth.  The secret to successful sandcastle construction could help revive an ancient eco-friendly building technique, according to researchers.

Experts at Durham’s School of Engineering led a study into the strength of rammed earth, which is growing in popularity as a sustainable building method.

In the same way that a sandcastle requires just a little water to stand strong, the Durham engineers found that the strength of rammed earth was heavily dependent on its water content.

Rammed earth is a manufactured material made up of sand, gravel and clay, which is moistened and then compacted between forms to build walls. It was developed in ancient China around 2,000 years before Christ.

Having the right amount of water is the key to both sandcastle building and rammed earth construction.  There is increasing interest in using the technique as it may help reduce reliance on cement in building materials – cement production being responsible for 5% of man’s CO2 output. Rammed earth materials can often also be sourced locally, reducing transport needs.

It is hoped the findings could also aid the conservation of ancient rammed earth buildings by putting methods in place to protect against too much water entering a structure, which would reduce its strength.

Paul Jaquin, a researcher on the project, now works for engineering consultancy Ramboll UK on new earth building projects around the world, and is using this research to better engineer buildings.

Research project leader Dr Charles Augarde, of Durham University’s School of Engineering, said: “We know that rammed earth can stand the test of time but the source of its strength has not been understood properly to date.

“Without this understanding we cannot effectively conserve old rammed earth or make economic designs for new build.”

He added: “By understanding more about this we can begin to look at the implications for using rammed earth as a green material in the design of new buildings and in the conservation of ancient buildings that were constructed using the technique.”

Interesting stuff.  Best get out the bucket and spade and hit the beach!

More from the BuilderScrap.com team about measuring sustainability….

Q: How do you think progress should be measured against the targets? Who should be responsible for measuring, evaluating and reporting on the actions of both Government and industry in moving towards the targets?

1. There was a very broad spectrum of suggestions as to what type of organisation should coordinate the delivery of the Strategy. However, the majority of the respondents favoured an independent objective body to hold Government and industry to account. It would need to have strong links to the industry and an understanding of the issues of sustainability.
Suggestions included the Strategic Forum for Construction, the Sustainable Development Commission, Centres for Excellence, the National Audit Office, the Environment Agency, Learning and Skills Councils, CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. A number of respondents also requested that whoever undertook the task, there should be a dedicated resource to co-ordinate, encourage and drive
progress.

2. Others suggested an independent body at national level with Trade Associations monitoring the performance of individual sectors. A role for the Regional Development Agencies was suggested, with the National Audit Office providing verification. Some respondents suggested that local authorities should be responsible for monitoring their own buildings
through the reintroduction of appropriate Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPI) or the introduction of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and inclusion within the Audit Commission’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment which annually assesses the performance of local authorities.

3. Some suggested that delivery of the Strategy (or of its key targets) should be included in Public Service Agreements for relevant departments.

4. A number of respondents suggested that each organisation should measure its own performance and report progress annually (possibly to Government). Some suggested that these reports should be validated by an independent third party.

5. Some suggested the Strategy should set the context for the targets and describe the mechanisms for monitoring performance; and that Government should lead by example, set appropriate targets to reduce its overall impact and report progress publicly.

6. Whilst most favoured voluntary KPIs, a small number favoured imposition by regulation.

7. Some respondents said they would welcome the adoption of a standardised approach to KPIs. The work of Constructing Excellence on KPIs and the Construction Project Information Committee in developing the Uniclass system were seen as helpful. KPIs such as these, combined with the effective application of the Office of Government Commerce’s
Common Minimum Standards, validated by appropriate independent bodies across the public sector, could have a significant impact.

8. Others proposed a thorough review of construction industry KPI data, with greater focus on environmental and socio-economic indicators and sustainable communities. This was an area where Government guidance might help.

Just a quick qualitative survey that builderScrap.com has come across in relation to the construction industry.

Q: If you represent part of the construction industry, what actions could your organisation sign up to, to improve particular aspects of sustainability?

1. Approximately 30% of respondents stated that they would be making specific commitments to improving the sustainability of the construction industry.

2. Many professional bodies were willing to make commitments in relation to membership criteria, promotion of ideas and dissemination of information, developing professional standards and the delivery of research.

3. Companies made specific commitments in relation to processes, performance of existing products and the development of new products.

4. A number of respondents stated that they would make commitments but wished to consider the final Strategy before putting forward detailed ideas.

The third part of the BuilderScrap.com review of sustainable construction.

Q: What more could the construction industry do collectively to contribute to aspects of sustainability – what targets and actions could it sign up to?

1. Many respondents suggested that the construction industry should work in a more integrated way, with a focus on stimulating collective thinking to ensure that sustainability issues were taken into account at the early stages of all projects. It was felt that there was a role here for the Strategic Forum for Construction. Trade Associations could also help by promoting
best practice for SMEs in areas such as health and safety, waste management and management of community impacts. Some suggested that the Strategy include regional industry programmes, possibly administered by the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs).

2. Some respondents confirmed their support for better control of waste, greater use of more sustainable materials and better design of buildings (domestic, industrial and commercial) to provide for a longer life span of the buildings.

3. Some suggested that there was significant scope for improved sharing of information across the construction sector. There were suggestions that benchmark standards should be established for a number of topics such as resource use, impact assessment, post occupancy evaluation, reporting of performance and lessons learnt. Agreeing benchmarks and
openly sharing information could facilitate the setting of deliverable targets to meet sustainability objectives, not only in environmental terms, but in the social and economic aspects of sustainability such as local recruitment, diversity, training and use of SMEs.

4. Some stated that the industry (including the products supply chain) should develop credible and independent certification systems for materials used – concrete, steel, glass, stone etc. This should also cover ethical and environmental issues relating to materials sourcing.

5. Some proposed compulsory annual training in all aspects of sustainable construction, for all staff levels. Knowledge about new and improved building techniques and practices and about their practical application, needed to be widely disseminated. The industry should continue to promote apprenticeships and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

6. To help improve the level of awareness of sustainability in construction, it was suggested that an industry best practice scheme for sustainability, Draft Strategy for Sustainable Construction Chapter Title: General comparable to ‘Investors in People’, should be developed. It was suggested that public sector clients could require the standard as a pre-qualification
criterion.

7. The following list outlines some of the ideas suggested by respondents:

• Standardised schemes to assess the sustainable community aspects of the built environment.
• All parts of the industry to sign up to a charter with appropriate and specific targets, to deliver improvements in their sustainability impacts.
• A coalition of top tier contractors agreeing unilaterally to adopt sustainable construction principles.
• Professional bodies to include mandatory CPD training on sustainability for their existing members.
• Professional bodies to require their accredited university degrees to include sustainable development in all relevant parts of the curriculum.
• Ensuring knowledge of best practice was disseminated, especially between competing companies though existing initiatives such as Constructing Excellence’s demonstration programme.
• The materials industry could measure and publicise its sustainability performance systematically using a methodical assessment tool such as Eco-Profiling.
• Greater adoption of life cycle analysis and more rigorous cost modelling techniques such as whole life costing.
• Tightening of energy efficiency targets with more focus on CO2 emissions than on energy use.
• Greater adoption of lean techniques, a better appreciation of the opportunities offered by off-site construction and the adoption of a more efficient construction process to eradicate waste at every stage.
• A partnership approach between landlords and tenants, with each sharing the costs of effective action on sustainability.

The final installment of the excellent Sustainability versus the Credit Crunch artcile written by the National Federation of Builders, follows here.  We at BuilderScrap found this article to be extremely interesting and hope that you have too.  Why not let us know what you think?

The three pillars of sustainability are environmental, social and economic.  The only pillar not yet dealt with is economic – how can you position your business to whether the down turn and be competitive once the storm has past?  Membership of a Trade Federation makes even more sense during hard times than it does in good.  It is never more important to use the opportunities that membership presents to you to share and benefit from the collective experience, whether it is taking advantage of the advice available at no additional cost; training services for management and personal development training, or the ability to procure sensibly at discounted rates leveraging the buying power of a large group.  Membership also allows you to influence the direction of lobbying work, ensuring your voice is heard on key issues such as fair payments, public sector procurement and VAT.   Complimentary services that will help you keep your business running, such as access to additional finance, are also available through Business Link.
Competition for work is fierce and the economic outlook is uncertain.  However, there are ways of steering a sustainable path through the uncertainty.

Here is the next part of the BuildScrap.com extract for sustainable construction that we have been reading and thought we’d share with you

Q2: Does the industry have views on the use of building and planning standards across the country to promote the
sustainability of developments?

1). There was a high level of agreement from the respondents that building and planning standards provided the essential vehicle to deliver a sustainable built environment in the UK. Some suggested Government should also offer fiscal incentives to property owners and developers to operate, maintain and upgrade their buildings.

2). There was concern about the development of different local building standards across the country, adopted via planning policy, which was confusing and added to the costs of construction. National standards, rather than local standards, were the preferred way forward and great support was given to the Code for Sustainable Homes to signpost future standards.

3). Some indicated that the Strategy should describe the link between standards, regulation and other Government initiatives. The Strategy should establish a framework which would give developers and contractors a clear picture of planning standards. The framework should set out the national minimum requirements and what was expected over and above this minimum for each local area.

5). Many suggested that sustainability should be integrated with Building Regulations, planning standards and the Common Minimum Standards to achieve clarity and ensure compliance. Enhanced mandatory building and planning standards would create a level playing field in which high quality development proposals were encouraged. Periodic tightening of the standards required through Building Regulations against a timetable announced in advance would give developers the confidence to undertake the necessary research and product development.

6). Some suggested that “Inter-operability” between the different elements of construction should be visible. A high level road-map would be helpful. This roadmap should indicate roles and responsibilities across each stage of the construction process and the tools that were available to guide the process.

7). Some contended that the planning regime should not be used to promote sustainability. For instance, requiring details of a building’s likely carbon emissions would require significant investment ahead of planning approval and increase development costs.

Some Extracts from the Draft Strategy for Sustainable Construction. BuilderScrap analyses responses to the consultation on the draft Strategy for Sustainable Construction. The aim of the consultation was to gather views on the draft Strategy. Responses were received and comments analysed against each of the questions in the consultation document. This extract reflects the views of the respondents.

Question: What other measures should Government be doing to support the construction industry to become more sustainable
this could cover any aspect of the industry and/or any aspect of its supply chains?

1) There was a variety of ideas put forward by respondents to this open question but there were few detailed suggestions. The measures suggested can be approximately grouped under the following headings:

• Fiscal controls 24%
• Regulation 25%
• Coordination of Government initiatives, including procurement 20 %
• Technical standards and benchmarking 25%
• Target Setting 20%
• Training and communication 10%

2). Suggestions in respect of fiscal measures included: direct taxation and tax relief and incentives; reduced interest rates for sustainable projects; the removal of VAT on sustainable products and materials and on Zero Carbon developments and refurbishments; and tax incentives for zero net waste construction sites. Some advocated more focus on existing
buildings and more emphasis on energy efficiency grants and loan guarantees.

3). A proportion of respondents considered that the effective use and enforcement of minimum performance standards, direct regulation (e.g.Building Regulations) and other mandatory initiatives, was essential to create a level playing field. Regulation should not only remove the need for some fiscal incentives and provide confidence for the construction industry to invest in new technologies, but also drive the right behaviours through industry in a timely fashion.

4). Specific measures proposed included:

• Improve the waste management systems in the UK. A working definition of waste or a national framework for risk assessment was important to measure waste minimisation.
• Bring the development of basements within the remit of Permitted
• Ensure post-completion performance measurement and effective application of the polluter pays principle.
• Require post-occupancy evaluation of projects, with a feedback mechanism so that future projects could learn from previous experience.
• Make the Code for Sustainable Homes (and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) or equivalent) mandatory in April 2008 to secure sustainable measures in larger developments.
• Make the Considerate Constructors Schemes a mandatory requirement.
• Introduce a Code for Sustainable Buildings – covering the non-domestic building stock.
• Make geotechnical ground investigations mandatory for all new developments, including a requirement for those investigations to be managed by competent personnel.

5). The consistency of regulatory enforcement was a strong theme.

6). Some suggested that it was important for Government to take a coordinated and consistent approach to sustainable construction, not only across Government departments but also across national boundaries (i.e. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

7). Others indicated that there was an overlap between the requirements of Town Planning and Building Regulations which should be addressed.

8). There were suggestions for the appointment of a high profile “champion” to drive the integration and collaboration agenda; for a senior advisory group of Government officials to provide guidance on best practice and on the definition of a “statutory consultee” for planning applications.

9). Some suggested that the development of long term targets would give product manufacturers the incentive to invest in new products and new processes. The more Government could provide clarity as to its long-term investment programmes and strategies, including Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW), the clearer the signal to industry to create
efficient supply chains.

10). Other views were that Government procurement should take greater account of the `whole life’ value of the built environment; the importance of local supply chains in reducing transportation emissions and creating more sustainable local communities and the adoption of integrated teams. Those involved in public sector procurement needed the right skills to
deliver this agenda.

11). Suggestions also included that there should be greater standardisation of contracts, processes and designs. Investment programmes in schools, health and transport provided the opportunity for the public sector to set an example. Government should encourage the use of standardised schemes and benchmarks to assess the sustainability and quality of the built environment (e.g. Design Quality Indicators (DQI), BREEAM and Building for Life). The assessment of overall sustainability performance was complex and Government should make (freely) available a single simple source of detailed information and guidance with standardised definitions and metrics, to enable meaningful comparisons between products and processes. More – possibly a significant advertising campaign – was needed to be put in hand to help clients act as informed customers on sustainable construction. There should be significant advertising campaigns for sustainable construction to promote
sustainability to the people making the ‘decision to purchase’.

The third part of the National Federation of Builders article about sustainability, UK construction and the current economic situation, is all about training and skills.  Have a read, and let us here at BuilderScrap know what you think.
The construction industry is facing a skills shortage on two fronts.  Firstly, the industry is losing workers – 109,000 in 2008 through redundancies as the industry suffered its worst decline in 30 years.  With demand falling and over-capacity, there is an increased likelihood of further job losses.  As the industry loses these skills and as those workers retrain for other industries, it will become more difficult to restore those skills when the market recovers, reducing the industry’s ability to build for the economic upturn and meet the long term demands of the infrastructure building programme.  Secondly, there is a shortage of apprentices, with 3,500 apprentices losing their jobs in the six months to March 2009.  Of those 3,500 only 700 have found new employment.  There is hope that the outward flow of so many apprentices will be stemmed by the National Apprenticeship Service which aims to help the industry meet the governments target of doubling the number of construction apprentices to 14,000 by 2012, or by the Apprentice Matching Service (AMS) from Construction skills which find alternative placements for those who have been made redundant before the end of their training.  The government’s targets, set in more stable economic times were designed to stretch the industry.  For many members, the current harsh economic reality makes taking on apprentices unrealistic this year.  However, it is still possible to train your existing workforce at no net cost, using the levy and grant system of Construction Skills. Making sure your skills are up to date puts you in the best competitive position for the upturn, when it comes.

The second part of the In Site article we have been reading at BuilderScrap, is all about the waste generated by the construction industry.  Have a read and let us know what you think.

Waste

The construction industry generates 120m tonnes of waste each year.  That is three times as much as all households in the UK.   Of this 120m tonnes, 20m tonnes goes straight to landfill without any reuse or salvage.  In April 2008, the standard rate of landfill tax was £32 per tonne.  The rate will rise by £8 every April until at least 2010-2011.  As this tax rises year on year, wasting less and reusing or recycling more will become more attractive financially.
The NFB has worked with WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) to produce guidance for small and medium sized contractors called “reducing your construction waste” .  This is one of the deliverables from the government’s strategy for sustainable construction”.  The guidance leaflet and complementary poster both simply and clearly lay out the benefits of the waste hierarchy of reduce, reuse, recycle and dispose.  The leaflet has three case studies one of which belongs to NFB member Cawrey Ltd from Leicester.  The case studies illustrate how those companies have made significant cost savings through small changes.

This week in the BuilderScrap office, we have been reading an interesting article in the National Federation of Builders excellent magazine, InSite.  The article discusses the issue of sustainability in these troubled economic times.  The first part follows here:

At this years Ecobuild conference and exhibition, the housing minister Margaret Beckett laid out some of the challenges facing her department and the industry in relation to climate change, zero carbon and planning communities.
The minister recognised the importance of balancing aspiration and ambitious target setting while not making unreasonable or unrealistic demands of the house building or construction industries.  New build and existing stock each present a different set of challenges.  Outside the decisions taken on a unit level, judgement has to be used on whether the technologies and techniques being used are appropriate for the location – how do homes being built fit into the development and the surrounding environment?
The pot of gold at the end of this particular rainbow is that proper planning and  investment in sustainable construction can help create jobs, cut costs, reduce carbon emissions and reduce waste.  However, this is still a niche market where fixed costs remain high because we have not yet begun to realise economies of scale, where there is still relatively little that is definitive because the industry is still learning about what works, and where whole life costs are not always taken into consideration.
The construction industry adapts and innovates to meet challenges; it always has.  But this time, the challenges are different.  The elephant in the room that is impossible to ignore is the credit crunch.  How can the industry continue to build responsibly and sustain itself while keeping control of costs?

Obviously, we feel that BuilderScrap can play a huge part in helping to lower costs, whilst being sustainable in the construction industry.  As supporters of the project, the NFB also believe this.  Watch out for the second part of this article, coming soon!