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The need for sustainable drainage construction is driving change within all areas of the industry. With more pressure on companies to evaluate the environmental and social impacts of their businesses, there is an increasing demand in both water and wastewater sectors to understand how sustainability can be implemented. In this context, sustainable drainage systems will include the design, installation and operation of pipelines in addition to the more common interpretation of the term "SuDS". Concrete pipeline manufacturers realised the scale of the challenge at an early stage and have been implementing a range of sustainable drainage measures on an ongoing basis. Carbon Footprinting - the facts A detailed research programme was set up by CPSA to look at the carbon footprint of our products and to establish how they compare to other types of pipeline products and construction methods. The study was audited by independent consultants Carbon Clear. The result is a set of three reports covering (Report 1) the carbon footprint of concrete pipes and manholes (Report 2) how concrete pipes compare to plastic pipes and (Report 3) a comparison between circular precast concrete manhole systems and other solutions. In order to comply with the requirements of PAS 2050, a peer review has been carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). The cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of concrete pipes ranges from 16.36 to 559 kg CO2 e/metre (DN225 up to DN2100) which is 20-60% lower than the values for generic precast concrete derived from many industry databases. The cradle-to-site greenhouse gas emissions of concrete pipes were found to be generally better than plastic pipes and up to 35% lower CO2 e for DN2100 pipes. The reports also demonstrate that DN1200 circular precast manhole systems have 30 to 43% lower carbon footprint compared to DN1200 traditional manholes, 1250 x 1250mm box based manholes and DN1050 plastic manholes. The benefits of concrete pipeline products range from low carbon footprint to reduced sourcing impacts, to long durability and service life, and efficient loo mitigation solutions. This brochure lists 12 different sustainability advantages of using concrete drainage products and illustrates why concrete pipes can help the UK challenges of the 21st Century. The concrete piplines website includes all of the above reports including the Carbon study brochure which gives an overview of the key findings within the three carbon clear reports. In order to view all of the reports that have been mentioned in this article you will need to visit the Concrete Pipeline Systems website which you can find at the following addrees: http://www.concretepipes.co.uk/sustainable-drainage.php
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sustainability, drainage, sustainable drainage,
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