This section provides an overview of Defence Estates' (DE) approach to Sustainable Construction. It gives an overview of our objectives, the government policy and strategy we aim to comply with and the actions MOD is taking to achieve Sustainable Construction on the MOD estate. It also provides links to key documents and guidance.
Overview
Delivering Sustainable Construction – that is construction that meets the objectives of Sustainable Development (SD) – has become a key goal for MOD. As a major construction industry client MOD is in a strong position to influence this important agenda.
Defence Estates is working closely with its construction stakeholders to deliver new and refurbished buildings that:
• Are user friendly places where people want to work and live;
• Continue to retain these attributes through their operational life - This means that factors like climate change temperature modelling will need to be considered during design;
• Increasingly employ more Sustainable Construction techniques, design and materials;
• Fit in with the locality and, where possible, support or contribute to local communities;
• Meet SD targets in relation to energy, waste and water.
This means construction activity that:
• Has less impact on the environment by:
o Being more resource efficient;
o Reducing travel/transport and
o Using low environmental impact products and materials
• Use less energy and water during construction
• Produces less waste
• Produces less disruption to local communities
• Protects and even enhances biodiversity
MOD aims to achieve and/or comply with:
• Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) mandate to achieve "Excellent" in "An appropriate environmental assessment process such as Building Research Establishment Assessment Method (BREEAM) or an equivalent (e.g. Civil Engineering Environmental Quality (CEEQUAL), Defence Related Environmental Assessment Methodology (DREAM) etc.)" for all new builds and major refurbishment. MOD uses DREAM.
• Strategy for Sustainable Construction – Construction Commitments – including the Halving Waste To Landfill commitment (See Waste Page)
• Meet the standards laid out within the Government's Common Minimum Standards (CMS) for the Procurement of Built Environments;
• The principles of the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC) Achieving Excellence in Construction Procurement Guide 11: Sustainability;
• MOD policy as laid down in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 434, Defence Construction in the Built Environment, and in Better Defence Buildings;
Government: Strategy for Sustainable Construction
The Strategy for Sustainable Construction is a joint industry and Government initiative intended to promote leadership and behavioural change, as well as delivering benefits to both the construction industry and the wider economy.
It aims to realise the shared vision of Sustainable Construction by:
• Providing clarity to business on the Government's position by bringing together diverse regulations and initiatives relating to sustainability;
• Setting and committing to higher standards to help achieve sustainability in specific areas;
• Making specific commitments by industry and Government to take the Sustainable Construction agenda forward.
The final strategy was published in June 2008. MOD will seek to integrate the Strategy's requirements within our future plans for estate development and within individual construction projects.
DE has completed a £9.7M projectDE has completed a project to deliver new training facilities for the Army's Terrier engineer vehicle at Bovington Armour Centre.
[Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Actions MOD and Defence Estates will take include:
• Nominating a SD manager/focal point within major construction project teams;
• Ensuring project teams have appropriate training and skills to deliver sustainable development through projects;
• Building sustainability into project requirements and planning processes;
• Ensuring that project decisions are based on whole life value and that through life running costs (for a realistic period) are fully considered;
• Ensuring that support tools are used and the findings acted upon i.e. sustainability and environmental appraisal tools, DREAM, Design Excellence Evaluation Process (DEEP) (see related pages);
• Setting specific sustainability related targets for the construction based on best practice for the building type;
• Including sustainability features as standard in all design work
• Identifying specific deliverables and ensuring they are in the contract;
• Planning to minimise waste during construction (see Waste page);
• Ensuring energy and water used in construction is metered and reported;
• Ensuring construction waste data is provided – along with other agreed SD Key Performance Indicators (KPI)s;
• Ensuring compliance with minimum environmental product standards i.e. Buy Sustainable - Quick Wins including only using legal sustainable timber;
• Ensuring compliance with: Building Regulations; Strategy for Sustainable Construction (including the Construction Commitments); Code for Sustainable Homes; Common Minimum Standards; Halve Waste to Landfill commitment; and, future requirements such as Zero Carbon Homes;
Tools & Guidance
DE has developed a range of tools and guidance to support the delivery of sustainable construction.
• Sustainability and Environmental Appraisal Tool (SEAT) Handbook – sets out the various appraisals that must be undertaken and will assist in identifying and addressing sustainability impacts
• Defence Related Environmental Appraisal Methodology (DREAM) – assesses the environmental aspects of construction projects/designs
• Sustainable Procurement Practitioner Guide – covers steps needed to include sustainability in construction projects
• Policy Instructions for project teams covering sustainable procurement, minimum environmental standards, DREAM and Site Waste Management Plans
See Related Pages for all of the above.
Construction Waste
Halve Waste to Landfill
DE has signed up to the Government’s Construction Commitment: Halving Waste to Landfill initiative. This initiative is being co-ordinated by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). WRAP works to set standards for good practice in waste and resource management for the construction sector. Government and industry have jointly proposed halving the amount of construction, demolition and excavation waste sent to landfill by 2012, as a result of waste redirection, re-use and recycling. A longer term aim is to achieve zero construction waste to landfill.
As part of this commitment, a Halve Waste to Landfill Charter has been developed and signed by DE and its Supplier Association members. Performance Indicators have been agreed and are set out in the Charter.
Envirowise and WRAP are working jointly towards halve waste to landfill and are available to assist organisations in achieving these targets.
Site Waste Management Plans
For construction projects the new Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) Regulations 2008 came into effect in April 2008. The new requirements make it obligatory for construction contractors and clients to more effectively manage and minimise construction waste. A SWMP is required for all construction projects with an estimated cost greater than £300k. DE has issued a Policy Instruction on SWMPs.
Credits are available for effective waste management in construction Environmental Performance Tools such as DREAM, BREEAM and CEEQUAL.
SWMPs address two key issues:
1. Improving materials resource efficiency, by promoting the economic use of construction materials and methods so that waste is minimised and any waste that is produced can be re-used, recycled or recovered in other ways before disposal options are explored; and
2. Reducing fly-tipping, by restricting the opportunities available for the illegal disposal of waste by ensuring compliance with existing legal controls and providing a full audit trail of any waste that is removed from the construction site.
Construction Waste Tools
There are now a growing number of tools available to help estimate and manage construction waste. Two key examples are:
• Building Research Establishment (BRE)’s SMARTWaste - SMARTWaste Plan is a free tool that has been developed by BRE to help the industry prepare, implement and review SWMPs in full compliance with the legal requirements.
• WRAP’s Net Waste Tool - The Net Waste Tool calculates the waste arising on your construction project, shows how you can improve your recycled content and quantifies the overall Net Waste for the project. The Net Waste Tool together with an effective SWMP and a robust method for capturing live data on construction waste provides a comprehensive suite of tools for improving resource efficiency.
• Suppliers participating in the halve Waste to Landfill Commitment can utilise WRAP’s online Reporting Portal.