BREEAM Monitoring of Construction Site Impacts

1 Aim and benefits
2 When to consider
3 Step-by-step guidance
4 Questions to ask while seeking compliance
5 Tools and resources
6 Tips and best practice
7 Typical evidence
- 7.1 Design stage
- 7.2 Post construction
8 Applicable Schemes
9 Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

[edit] Aim and benefits

To recognise and encourage construction sites which are managed in an environmentally and socially considerate, responsible and accountable manner.

To focus the principal contractor and project team on the amount of energy and water consumption used during the construction process and to consider the CO2 emissions that result from the transportation of materials and waste to and from site. By monitoring and reviewing the data, this should hopefully encourage the principal contractor to identify areas where energy and water usage can be reduced and wastage minimised. By monitoring mileage and CO2 emissions from the transportation of materials and waste this may encourage them to look at the distance materials need to be transported and the number and types of deliveries required.

BRE are collating the data provided and may in future use this to establish targets.

[edit] When to consider

The requirement to monitor and record the energy and water consumption and transport of materials and waste should be included within the tender and contract documentation.

The principal contractor will need to ensure recording processes are in place when commencing on site including taking initial meter readings and establishing procedures for recording mileage and deliveries and waste collection.

[edit] Step-by-step guidance

One person from the principal contractor's organisation; such as the site foreman, manager, logistics manager or sustainability champion; should be appointed to monitor, record and report the data required.

The contractor should maintain monthly records of any energy consumption as a result of the use of construction plant, equipment (mobile and fixed) and site accommodation. The records should therefore cover all temporary electric supplies (via meter readings), fuel or hours of use for generators, fuel used on site for plant. The data will need to be converted into kWh and CO2 emissions. Details of the generators may be required to allow the figures to be converted.

The contractor will also need to keep records and meter readings for the potable water used during the construction process. This may include water bowsers or bottled water where mains supplies are not available. This should be recorded in m3.

The contractor will also need to record the transport of construction materials to site and any waste taken from site. The records should include details of the materials and waste being transported, the type of vehicle (i.e. van or HGV) and the distance travelled. This will enable the litres of fuel and CO2 emissions to be calculated using conversion rates and the figures to be divided between materials and waste transportation.

For the transport of materials, this should be recorded from the factory gate to the building site.

For the transport of waste, this should be recorded from the construction site gate to the waste disposal processing/recovery centre gate.

BREEAM requires monitoring and recording of construction materials’ transport to cover as a minimum:

Materials used in major building elements as defined in the BREEAM issue of life cycle / environmental impact of materials, including insulation materials.
Ground works and landscaping materials.

To ensure consistency across assessments, the information completed in the scoring and reporting tool should be restricted to this minimum data.

The record of data on transport resulting from delivery of the majority of construction materials to site should be calculated according to the type of material purchased.

Raw materials: transport data calculated from the supplier to the site, as consideration of the previous stages is too complicated and out of the contractor’s control.
Manufactured / bespoke products: transport data calculated from the factory assembling the module in its final form to the site.
For small islands: no consideration of the ferry transport is required as there is no choice in selecting this transport type. Transport data will take into account the total tracking: i.e. the delivery from the factory/supplier to the first port and from the second port to the site.

[edit] Questions to ask while seeking compliance

What types of energy will be used on site i.e. generators or mains electricity. You may require the type and size of generator to enable conversions to CO2 emissions and kWh for reporting where temporary power supplies are being used.

Where a mains water supply is not in place at the start of a project, water bowsers and bottles should be recorded until the water supply is in place.

Project value to enable consumption to be reported per £100k.

[edit] Tools and resources

[edit] Tips and best practice

(TG) Use of the BRE SmartWaste reporting tool including API

[edit] Typical evidence

[edit] Design stage

Contract or specification clauses or a formal letter of commitment can be used to show intent to meet the criteria at design stage.

[edit] Post construction

Records to show the energy consumption in kWh (and where relevant, litres of fuel used) as a result of the use of construction plant, equipment (mobile and fixed) and site accommodation and the total carbon dioxide emissions (kgC02/project value).

Records to show the water consumption in m3 as a result of the use of construction plant, equipment (mobile and fixed) and site accommodation.

Records to show the total distance travelled (km), total fuel consumption (litres) and total carbon dioxide emissions (kgC02) for materials delivered to site and waste from site.

[edit] Applicable Schemes

The guidelines collated in this ISD aim to support sustainable best practice in the topic described. This issue may apply in multiple BREEAM schemes covering different stages in the life of a building, different building types and different year versions. Some content may be generic but scheme nuances should also be taken into account. Refer to the comments below and related articles to this one to understand these nuances. See this document for further guidelines.