eNews

Issue 12 - Spring 2014

 

RSTA Members' News

FM CONWAY WINS £21M ROAD MAINTENANCE CONTRACT

The contract with the London Borough of Lewisham is worth around £3 million per annum and will run for five years with an option for a two-year extension. The deal will see FM Conway deliver highway maintenance and planned roadworks throughout the borough including emergency works, gully cleansing, winter services and footway works. This new contract builds on the company’s long standing relationship with the London Borough of Lewisham.

Michael Conway, FM Conway’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is a major win and we’re delighted to continue our working relationship with the London Borough of Lewisham. It demonstrates the strength of our term maintenance offer in London which is underpinned by our unique approach to self-delivery of all services which allows us to give best value to our clients.”

Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Cllr Alan Smith, added: “Despite our current budgetary pressures, Lewisham Council is committed to investing in its highways network. This new contract with FM Conway accounts for a significant percentage of that investment, and will help the council to keep Lewisham moving until close to the end of the decade.”

ULTRACRETE ACHIEVES ZERO WASTE TO LANDFILL

Ultracrete, part of the Instarmac Group, is now able to recycle 100% of its waste. A team of employees have been working together to achieve zero waste to landfill through Kaizen workshops which have helped to improve standardised activities and waste stream processes. In 2011, the company recorded a massive 51% in reduction in their waste to landfill and 3 years on they have achieved their zero % goal.

The company already boasts a lengthy list of environmental initiatives. This includes investment in solar powered energy as well as climate control, grey water and intelligent lighting systems throughout their premises. Instarmac’s 26 strong new generation vehicle fleet is managed using routing software that maximises its efficiency enabling drivers to stay in the ‘green zone’, making the optimum use of fuel and decreasing C02 emissions. These are all part of an ongoing commitment to minimising environmental impact.

For further information on products from the Ultracrete range, telephone: 01827 871871 or email: [email protected].

LAFARGE TARMAC AND CARBON TRUST LAUNCH LOW ENERGY ROAD BUILDING MATERIALS

The Carbon Trust and Lafarge Tarmac have undertaken a three year study to improve the carbon efficiency of the manufacture of road materials, which has the potential to save the UK road industry £46m in energy costs over the next ten years.

The project has lifted market barriers for the use of lower temperature asphalt used in road construction, which reduces energy costs, as well as cutting carbon emissions by up to 39%. Conventional asphalt, commonly used across the UK, is made by bonding aggregates and bitumen into asphalt by heating them to temperatures of 1800C – 1900C. This project successfully trialled the use of a ‘Low Temperature Asphalt’ (LTA) material, which allows mixing and working at lower temperatures. It bonds road materials as effectively as the conventional method, but uses less energy.

The trial has enabled the project team to develop specifications for use, which will help accelerate the production and adoption of lower temperature asphalts. The project was led by Lafarge Tarmac and the Carbon Trust (within its Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator (IEEA) Programme). Funding came from Lafarge Tarmac and the Carbon Trust (via the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) and support from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

If the new specification is adopted and low temperature asphalt market achieves 21% of the total UK asphalt market over the next decade, it could save £46.2m and around 260,000 tonnes of CO2 during the manufacturing of these materials over the next 10 years. This would create the equivalent carbon savings of taking more than 345,000 cars off the road. The new specification is also of great importance to highway authorities, especially those that have set targets for the reduction of carbon emissions. For example, the West Midlands Highway Alliance, which represents 14 of the region's Local Authorities with a combined annual spend of over £400m, launched a concordat in September 2013 to reduce CO2 emissions in the production of road and footway materials by 20% by 2015.

EUROVIA PUBLISHES 2013 CR REPORT

Eurovia UK has published its 2013 Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report, highlighting the CR activities carried out during 2013 and identifying the key targets for this year. The new report covers four key areas: workplace, marketplace, community and environment. Included in the report is the wide-range of CR activities that have taken place throughout the whole group.

The report highlights how the company has continued to invest in training and development of staff to ensure ongoing good client service. Key processes have been tested and the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) process continues to be followed to highlight areas for review. The report also highlights the progress made towards environmental sustainability and details the investment made to waste recycling systems, reducing energy and water consumption.

Key highlights include:

  • Reduced RIDDOR rate and increased near miss reporting;
  • Doubled the sale of sustainable materials produced by the group;
  • Engaged our supply chain in environmental management, reviewing their performance with our bespoke performance management system.
  • A 60% increase in match funding for employees raising money for charities;
  • £97,000 of materials, sponsorship and equipment donated to community partners;
  • 168 days volunteered (equivalent to 1340 hours);
  • Carbon footprint reduced by 15% (normalised against turnover);
  • A reduction in actual tonnes of waste to landfill, with 98% of all site waste being diverted from landfill sites.
Scott Wardrop, Eurovia UK Chief Executive, said: “In 2013, our business grew significantly in both services – contracting and production – which stretched our management and support functions significantly. It has been a challenging time for all but I am pleased that the management of our environmental impact continues to improve as we closely monitor and control our carbon footprint and are reducing our waste to landfill. We continue to invest in our people, providing award winning well-being campaigns, reinforcing core safety values and listening to our employee’s feedback. Throughout 2013, we supported a range of community projects ranging from enhancing local areas, providing careers guidance and donations to UK charities.”

You can view and download the CR Report by visiting: www.eurovia.co.uk

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