VolkerFitzpatrick pilots new SmartWaste Scan app on Prologis Park BREEAM project.

Case Study

VolkerFitzpatrick pilots new SmartWaste Scan app on Prologis Park BREEAM project.

Overview

VolkerFitzpatrick is using the new SmartWaste Scan AI app on its Prologis Park project, to help it achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating.

Use of SmartWaste Scan on the site is streamlining data capture for material delivery and waste transfer notes, as well as reducing paperwork. VolkerFitzpatrick’s participation in the pilot phase has also helped BRE to refine SmartWaste Scan and gain a better understanding of the benefits of its use to capture site data across the supply chain.

Background

VolkerFitzpatrick is one of the leading engineering and construction companies in the UK. It has set the goal to be Net Zero by 2035 for all Scope 1 and 2 emissions, as well as Scope 3 emissions that are under its direct control. VolkerFitzpatrick is recording data on its construction sites in SmartWaste to track progress towards this carbon reduction target and to allow external verification, ensuring credibility and transparency.

VolkerFitzpatrick has been selected by Prologis UK to design and build five new distribution units at its site in Hemel Hempstead. The units will include rooftop solar arrays, be energy efficient and align with the UKGBC zero carbon in construction framework. VolkerFitzpatrick is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating for the development.

One of the key challenges for sites is managing the volume and complexity of data and evidence required to satisfy different reporting requirements, including internal company ESG commitments and KPIs, client requirements, frameworks and other external standards. It is resource intensive for site teams to coordinate and capture this data, especially from sub-contractors across the supply chain.

Solutions

VolkerFitzpatrick has been using BRE SmartWaste software since 2020 to report on its environmental impacts for many of its commercial projects registered with BREEAM. VolkerFitzpatrick took part in a pilot of SmartWaste Scan to further enhance site data capture and to support development of the app.

SmartWaste Scan enables the capture of material delivery and waste transfer notes via any smart device including smartphones and tablets. Using the SmartWaste Scan app, the site operator selects their project and submits a photo of the physical document. The photo is processed in real time using optical character recognition (OCR) technology to identify the materials and quantities delivered to site, as well as waste collected. SmartWaste Scan includes an automated Duty of Care compliance check for the waste carrier and destination. Once verified, the data is saved in SmartWaste for further analysis and reporting.

Throughout any construction project, tracking and reporting the carbon impact of material deliveries to the site is a challenging task, especially when the main contractor does not procure all of the materials. The SmartWaste Scan application has allowed us to record delivery tickets at the site entrance before they are passed on to the subcontractor.
We manage a significant amount of excavation waste, which typically generates a high volume of paperwork. SmartWaste Scan has helped reduce paperwork by enabling simple checks for the desktop user.

– Toby Harvell, Sustainability Engineer at VolkerFitzpatrick

We manage a significant amount of excavation waste, which typically generates a high volume of paperwork. SmartWaste Scan has helped reduce paperwork by enabling simple checks for the desktop user.

– Toby Harvell, Sustainability Engineer at VolkerFitzpatrick

Outcomes

In the first four months of the Prologis Park project, VolkerFitzpatrick reused more than 60,000 tonnes of soil with over individual 2,000 waste tickets recorded in SmartWaste. Over 30,000 tonnes of aggregate was imported, with the majority sourced from 100% recycled crushed concrete.

VolkerFitzpatrick sees potential for use of SmartWaste Scan across its sites especially on its BREEAM projects, where the evidence captured by site teams to support their sustainability goals is considerable. The company is confident that SmartWaste Scan software will streamline the capture of site evidence, delivering greater efficiencies and benefits to the business in support of its People-Planet-Purpose sustainability framework and its 2030 goals.

Through the pilot of SmartWaste Scan, VolkerFitzpatrick has worked closely with the BRE SmartWaste team to provide valuable input into the product development process.

Find out more about SmartWaste Scan here.