Comment08.11.22by Richard BrinkworthMeeting current and future housing demands in the UK through brownfield housing projects makes a great deal of sense and is an environmentally sound means of maximising land use while respecting and protecting the greenbelt, but it is not without its carbon challenges, writes Richard BrinkworthPicture: GettySharelinesOur new research helps quantify the carbon emissions associated with brownfield developments writes Richard Brinkworth #UKhousing The housing sector is committed to meeting the UK’s 2050 net zero carbon target, but we need a radical rethink if this is to be successfully achieved.
With housing developments on brownfield sites, we achieve a great deal by constructing much-needed new homes on previously developed land that is being brought back into use rather than building on green open spaces.
Developments on brownfield land have a well-established system of recognising that the site may have a complex and potentially contaminative history, and in-depth site investigations supported by risk assessments and a remediation design and commonly accepted standards.
However, to retain the environmental credentials of a project, carbon impact and mitigation should form part of this design. Our own experience in marrying the positive contributions of brownfield development with the environmental impact of required remediation has informed a series of projects in partnership with the University of Surrey.
This partnership has led to the creation of a series of carbon-reduction tools.
One such tool is specifically designed to detail and calculate the carbon emissions associated with the remediation of brownfield developments, giving development teams a clear pathway to carbon reduction through greater visibility of the challenges associated with land that has a contaminative history.
Essential, because in essence, you can’t mitigate for what you don’t understand.
The Carbon Reduction Design Tool (CReDiT) has been designed to assess potential carbon emissions from the complex processes involved in remediation at the design stage.
It considers aspects such as the excavation of soil, earthwork movements (with machinery), use of raw materials such as topsoil, the transport of material and waste, recycling, and reuse of materials. Recognising the range of scenarios brownfield developers face, we have tested the tool across a wide range of developments, including both simple and very complex brownfield sites (eg a former landfill site, which is arguably among the most challenging of construction environments).
We are keen to bring a sustainable focus back to remediation which in many cases has fallen into a formulaic, risk-averse process.
By considering the carbon alongside the many other factors affecting remediation projects, we are seeking to optimise designs to reduce carbon while maintaining suitability for use.
Quantifying carbon emissions and material volumes from different remediation options allows the development team to consider where significant carbon savings can be made through the effective reuse or recycling of carbon-rich or valuable materials, such as topsoil, onsite.
Materials can be properly re-evaluated as a resource rather than a landfill option.
Remediation is, of course, not the only soil-related activity where carbon savings can be made. By assessing carbon alongside more traditional commercial considerations, foundations, infrastructure and earthworks can all be redesigned with a more sustainable focus.
This is why the project partnership has also developed tools for these key areas.
This highly collaborative research highlights the excellent synergies between the geo-environmental and geotechnical experts at Leap and academics from the University of Surrey, who are working together to become world leaders in transformative carbon emission-centric strategies for the construction industry.
Richard Brinkworth, managing director, Leap Environmental
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