SMR Application: Re-instatements using SMR from a Hub-Site
Where: Poringland, Norfolk
When: 2015
The Project
One of SMR UK’s hub site partners, Richardson Recycling was approached by Mick Damen and was tasked with the job of supplying SMR as an alternative backfill on a Balfour Beatty scheme at Poringland in Norfolk. The scheme was 11.4kms long to replace an old water main through the centre of the village and connect all the new supplies.
After meeting with the site agent (Chris Taylor) and walking through the scheme to ensure we could meet his requirements, it was agreed. SMR would be the best solution for this work. Chris Taylor had provided Richardson Recycling with samples from trial holes he had excavated so Richardson Recycling weren’t hit with any sudden surprises.
A mutual agreement that Richardson Recycling mobile SMR batching plant wasn’t suitable due to the amount of space available, but as was pointed out Richardson’s have a hub site in Morningthorpe less than 10 miles away from the scheme. Richardson Recycling decided they would deliver the SMR to site using there 8 wheeled grab lorries the driver would help backfill the trenches and take a load spoil away to bring back to Morningthorpe to be processed.
Benefits
The benefits of using the SMR on any scheme are the massively reduced cost of muck away and the import of virgin aggregates. The cost of virgin aggregates is only going to rise in the upcoming years as is the price of muck away. By using SMR it also reduces the customers carbon footprint in some cases by up to 50%, Chris Taylor wasn’t far off this 50% mark on the Poringland scheme.
Costs
It specifies that from 1 April 2016, the standard rate of landfill tax will rise from its 2015/16 rate of £82.60
Update: As of April 2020 the UK landfill tax has increased even more & the standard rate now is £94.15 per tonne with an inert rate of £3.00 per tonne, this is very likely to increase in April 2021.
Between Richardson Recycling, Mick Damen and Chris Taylor They have managed to save Balfour Beatty and the @one alliance £23,173, this was possible through the use of SMR as opposed to traditional backfill methods.
If SMR wasn’t used the total cost so far would be £46,770 to date. Richardson Recycling have managed to reduce this to £23,597 by using SMR.
Overall Project Benefits
1,474.84 tonne of SMR.
1,100.78 tonne of spoil removed free of charge (SMR tip) to go back to the hub site for processing.
374.06 tonne of non-recyclable waste to landfill.
Structural material for reinstatement.
Comparison
If tradition methods were used this would have resulted in 191 lorry movements to import and export materials. Between the three of us we managed to reduce this figure to 119 lorry movements saving 72 lorry movements resulting in a reduced carbon footprint making Balfour Beatty a greener company.
There haven’t been any defects so far on this scheme using SMR. All of this is helped by the good working relationship that is between Richardson Recycling and Balfour Beatty, the gangs who work for Chris and Mick and Richard Moore from West Norfolk Surfacing and his team who have also played a massive part to make all of this achievable.
As you can see by the use of SMR it makes a more sustainable future for the utilities sector and civil engineering and a greener, cleaner future.