CASE STUDY
BATCH-MIX REINSTATEMENT PROJECT USING OUR’TIP AND TAKE’ SERVICE VIA AN SMR RECYCLINGFACILITY
BRISTOL, 2011
CLIENT: BRISTOL WATER, DANIEL CONTRACTORS
Industry: Utilities
Our utilities products offer a permanent solution
Product: Batch-Mix
The ultimate solution for routine utility works and mid-sized reinstatementprojects
Service: Tip and Take
Excavated spoil can be transported and TIPped at your nearest Batch Mix Hubfacility. While you’re there, you can TAKE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This case study highlights SMR’s success in the Lockleaze area of Bristol. SMR’s innovative “tip andtake” service provides an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional reinstatementmethods, resulting in significant cost savings, reduced carbon footprint, and improved materialperformance.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Daniel Contractors, in collaboration with Bristol Water, facedchallenges in disposing of spoil in the Lockleaze, Bristol areadue to rising costs and limited landfill options. Traditionalspoil disposal methods involved costly landfilling andimporting virgin aggregates, contributing to rising costs andenvironmental concerns. The project aimed to address theseissues and find an efficient, sustainable approach to spoilmanagement.
THE SMR SOLUTION
Seeking an eco-friendly solution, they utilized SMR’srecycling facility to process spoil into a high-qualitybackfill product for trench reinstatement, that is asuperior alternative to Type 1.
SMR’s recycling facility transformed spoil into a stonecompliant product. The “tip and take” approachallowed vehicles to deposit spoil at the facility andcollect already processed backfill product, reducingjourney times and costs. This process allows resourcesto be re-used, rather than scrapped which eliminatesthe need to import new resources such as aggregatewhile diverting waste from landfill. By allowingexcavated materials to be returned to the economy, wecreate what’s known as a circular economy. Thisapproach outperformed traditional landfill and quarrymethods. Between July and November 2011 DanielContractors, delivered a total of 2,644.45 tonnes of spoilto the recycling facility (an average of around 525tonnes a month)
“Bristol Water is committed tothe WRAP Utility IndustryAgreement to reduce wastearisings from our excavationsto landfill. We carry out over17000 works in the highwayper year and we are very keento use recycled and stabilisedmaterials such as thosesupplied by SMR’s RecyclingStation to reduce our impacton the environment. We arevery proud of the workscarried out by our ContractorDaniel and the SMR RecyclingFacility at Locklease.”
– Simon Bennett, BristolWater’s Street WorksManager
RESULTS
Using SMR’s recycling facility required 136 grab lorry journeys, compared to 221 journeys usingtraditional landfill and quarry methods. These reduced journey distances contributed to asignificant reduction in CO2 emissions and pollution. Also, the use of processed SMR materialproved more cost-effective than combining landfill, virgin aggregate, and associated transportcosts. SMR’s backfill sub-base product exceeded the performance of typically specified 30%GSB material.
“Trench arisings sent to landfill have high carbon and financial costs compared torecycling excavated materials. Thanks to the local availability of SMR’s Recycling Stations’product and their support/expertise we have reduced the carbon footprint of our works.”
-Ian Foley, Daniel Partnership Manager on the Bristol Water Contract
BENEFITS
The “tip and take” approach to SMR recycling provided numerous benefits:
Environmental Sustainability: The approach aligned with recycling goals and reduced landfillusage, contributing to local authorities’ environmental targets.
Efficient Resource Management: Using SMR’s recycled backfill eliminated the need for virginaggregates, thus reducing the impact of mining and transportation.
Financial Savings: The cost savings from reduced landfill taxes, transportation, and materialsourcing resulted in financial benefits.
Scalability: The “tip and take” model demonstrated scalability, with a growing number of utilityand construction companies adopting the approach.
CONCLUSION
The SMR “tip and take” recycling facility modelshowcased in this case study presents asustainable solution to spoil management,promoting eco-friendliness, cost-efficiency, andimproved material performance. This innovativeapproach offers a practical alternative totraditional landfill and quarry methods, aligningwith the industry’s goals of reducing environmentalimpact and achieving recycling targets.
SMR has already signed a number of HUB dealerpartners across the UK and is actively looking tohave a batch-mix provider in close proximity tomost major cities within five years.
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