Pit & Quarry, April 2012

SUSTAINABILITY Whats been done with green building is what were now seeing in aggregate construction Companies can use a sustainability point system for every aspect of their business Brian Barlow President and CEO Barlow Marketing Group ready mix plants and train certifiers Benefits of the program include favored status improved profits increased efficiency community goodwill and reduction of liability and risk Barlow notes that an Indiana concrete business recently won a six to eight month project because it had completed the Green Star certification The company had a somewhat longer haul but was perceived as more efficient and environmentally aware because of its certification Were beginning to see this kind of thing more and more in every industry Barlow says Roadway rating system Greenroads is a sustainability rating system for roadway design and construction It is applicable to all roadway projects including new reconstruction and rehabilitation even overlays and bridges The rating system can be used for any type of road construction project Greenroads began in the University of Washingtons Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2007 Originally it was Martina Soderlunds masters thesis in the construction transportation area of the department Much credit has been given to Soderlund and her original ideas which are still quite evident in todays version of the rating system Steve Muench a University of Washington assistant professor at the time served as Soderlunds adviser and carries forward the effort as the rating system continues to evolve and mature Jeralee Anderson a Ph D student is now the principal researcher involved Other help on specific credits or ideas has come from numerous people at the university including graduate students undergraduate students professors and staff Greenroads is a collection of sustainability best practices called credits that relates to roadway design and construction Achieving these credits can earn points toward a total score for Reviewing the full cycle of the project and identifying what aspects of a project impact a company and which aspects the company can impact also helps in organizing a sustainability plan the project and in general this Greenroads score can be used as an indicator of sustainability for the roadway Four different certification levels ratings are available depending upon total score on a voluntary basis Michelle Keil sustainable development engagement manager at Caterpillar Inc says there is an increasing move to focus on the full life cycle impact of every type of construction project Whether its mining road building or any other type of construction the economic sector is definitely moving toward understanding the economic environmental and social impacts of that project Keil says Sustainability doesnt just mean efficiency of the construction company It also encompasses impacts such as dust noise and traffic on a community All those things will be considered upstream when developers review bid submissions Fitting in Part of the process of developing a sustainability program involves identifying where the company fits in the project value chain Keil notes that learning from other like companies and how they have addressed sustainability issues can be helpful to companies at all levels Reviewing the full cycle of the project and identifying what aspects of a project impact a company and which aspects the company can impact also helps in organizing a sustainability plan A quarry or aggregate company may not have much to do with a decision to install motion control sensors in a building for energy efficiency Where they can have an impact on that segment of a project is in producing the materials used for construction as efficiently and cleanly as possible with the least possible environmental impact Keil says Retaining talent is currently seen as a highly valuable sustainable practice Companies want to ensure employees have necessary skills to complete a quality product They also want to make the most of investments of time and money in developing employees People want to work for companies with good reputations companies known for doing good things Keil says Having a reputation as a good company to work for is more likely to appeal to potential employees customers or community members who see that as a concern Studies have shown that skilled equipment operators work much more efficiently and safely than unskilled workers Learning the fine points of operating a machine can result in 20 to 30 percent better work quality lowered fuel costs and reduced labor That all affects the companys bottom line Managing impact on the community where the construction company op 26 PIT QUARRY April 2012 www pitandquarry com