Do you know the best way to improve your waste management? How far are your projects from achieving zero waste? Find out what you can do about it.

Constructing Excellence in Wales held a successful breakfast seminar this week all about the Enabling Zero Waste project. 

Enabling Zero Waste is a CEW initiative designed to provide practical, positive and active intervention through the provision of professional waste management solutions targeted at construction, demolition and civil engineering projects in Wales. The initiative is aiming to establish, if and how, the construction industry can achieve the overarching strategy for waste in Wales of zero waste to landfill. The results will also help to inform the industry about planning to generate less waste, reusing materials and using more recycled content. Updates, lessons learnt and best practice will be disseminated across industry as the project progresses.

WRW Construction, a project partner working with CEW on the Enabling Zero Waste scheme, has been working to identify improvements in waste management during the demolition and construction of Aberystwyth Fire Station. At the breakfast seminar the team provided an update in relation to the scheme detailing progress, waste management challenges and highlighting examples of best practice.  

If you want to learn more about Enabling Zero Waste or gain some specific ideas from the experiences of WRW Construction please contact our CEW Waste team by email or  02920 493322.

An industry survey has revealed that less than 1 in five construction firms are ready to use BIM? Are you one of them? And if not, then are you making preparations for BIM.

Only 16% of firms in the building services sector are ‘fully ready’ to use Building Information Modelling on projects. A major survey by the Electrical Contractors’ Association found the industry is way behind the government’s BIM timetable. The government has set a 2016 deadline for the mandatory use of ‘BIM Level 2’ in all Whitehall-procured contracts.

But with just months to go 57% of firms said they were not fully ready while 27% said they were ‘not ready at all’. But nearly two-thirds of respondents said that BIM Level 2 will be ‘good for the sector’, while 57% said it will be the ‘future for building services’.

ECA Director of Business Services Paul Reeve said: “The survey results show that ‘BIM awareness’ is generally high across building services, but many contractors, and others associated with our sector, still have a long way to go to be ready for the government’s 2016 BIM deadline. The results indicate that while some companies have already engaged successfully with BIM, many more have yet to engage with the aspects that allow effective information sharing with others in their supply chain. In addition to flagging up our findings to government and the industry, we will be working with our ‘BIM readiness’ partners to tackle the important gaps identified by the survey, as soon as possible”.

CIBSE Technical Director Hywel Davies said: “This survey confirms that whilst there is a growing awareness of Level 2 BIM in the MEP sector, there is still a real need for more information. There is also a requirement for specific tools and guidance for the MEP sector, which CIBSE is working closely with industry partners to develop.”

Construction Enquirer, download article here

Proof that work is picking up comes in the form of Constructionline Meet the Buyer events where contractors can learn about work; this time in West Wales.

Today’s Meet the Buyer event is proof that there is some great construction opportunities right across Wales. Subcontractors are being invited to a free Meet the Buyer event organised by Constructionline in Aberystwyth on Thursday (15 October) to learn about new and upcoming work opportunities.

Suppliers can meet buyers including contractors Lagan Construction and WRW Construction, as well as Aberystwyth University, Ceredigion Council, and The National Procurement Service (NPS) Wales, which holds public sector purchasing power of over £1billion.

It is expected that there will be around 20 buyers at the event. West Wales Fire and Rescue Service will be exhibiting and looking for suppliers to work on the construction of a new fire and community station. To support the project, the Fire Service needs a variety of specialisations, including ground works, brickwork, carpentry, electrical works and steel fabrication.

Climate change affects all of us and the construction industry, from designers to site managers, need to understand how to address weather patterns, rainfall and adapt our methods to cope.

The Climate Change Commission for Wales and the Sustainable Development Charter is backing an event that allows professionals in all aspects of the Welsh built environment to discuss, learn and consider the impact of climate change on construction. Specifically, the event looks at Climate Change: Risk, Adaptation & Opportunities.

This free event is taking place on Wednesday 21st October in Newport full details in the link below is mainly aimed at signatories of the SD Charter, but is also open to other organisations across Welsh construction to attend.  It will be relevant to those new to action on climate change, as well as people who've been working on it for a while.  It will be an opportunity to showcase good practice as well as providing help to those who wish to do more. 

At the event you will learn what organisations have done so far to take action on climate change mitigation, adaptation and supporting the transition to a low carbon future, through working with employees, customers, suppliers and stakeholders.  Confirmed contributors include NRW and Tata Steel.

 During the afternoon sessions there will be an opportunity to learn and discuss further opportunities to take action on climate change; and we will be setting a challenge to signatories to outline future commitment which can be highlighted as part of Wales' contribution to the global climate change talks in Paris (COP21) at the end of the year.

To book a place - please register at here