RAINWATER MANAGEMENT DOWN THE DRAIN
Dura Products’ md Steve Bennett answers a few pertinent questions about rainwater management.
W
e have seen an increase in demand for shallower solutions which offer effective drainage while boosting projects’
sustainability principles – as ever, green solutions are proving to be very popular across all projects. This year we are seeing our new shallow heavy-duty linear drainage channel (50000-Durachannel) lead the way as our first-ever low-cost rainwater drainage product, which is ideal for merchant stock lines. It is important that there are sustainable solutions on the market for typical linear drainage in car parks, forecourts, and local infrastructure projects to offer contractors sustainable drainage options. Our entire range offers end-of-life reuse or recycling to reduce embodied carbon at all points of the project lifecycle, something that is increasingly prioritised and demanded by contractors.
What are the main issues that are affecting sales? Since January, activity has slowed due to supply chain disruptions, labour shortages and project funding issues. For Dura Products, coming off the back of a record year of sales in 2022, 2023 has been steady so far, however, many projects start dates are now quickly approaching and we are seeing an increase in activity as we look to the last four months of the year.
As activity has dropped, our focus has been on making progress with national standards as we focus our efforts on green construction. These take time to come into force, but we are hopeful that once they take effect, sales of sustainable solutions which are recycled, recyclable and reusable to promote a circular economy will hit an all-time high.
How much are sustainability issues affecting the type of products sold into the market?
Sustainability has significantly impacted the types of products entering the market. For over two decades, we have prioritised sustainability as the main feature of our new product development (NPD); each product we create is designed to consciously minimise
waste and mitigate environmental risks. After twenty years, we are finally seeing the market welcome innovation which aligns with sustainability. A crucial aspect for assessing products is their quantitative environmental impact in light of upcoming carbon net-zero targets. Within the construction industry, there is a particular focus on Co2 emissions during manufacturing and on-site during construction.
Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) measure the environmental footprint of projects and/ or services and offer a method of evaluating the cradle-to-grave impact of everything used in a construction project. We find they are increasingly used by planners, designers and contractors to measure and compare the environmental impact of the different materials and processes used in construction projects as well as using them to set performance targets, establish ‘green’ building codes and encourage greater adoption of sustainable practices. Alongside LCAs, we are also seeing rising demand for Environmental Protection Documents (EPDs), including Environmental Impact Assessments or Environmental Management Plans.
Wetter summers and drier winters: what role can rainwater management products and companies play? Our two surface drainage products, Duradrain and Durachannel, deal with the front end of rainwater management which involves the catchment of rainwater as it drops and then effective delivery to a point of discharge to the below-ground systems. So, preventing local flooding, protecting surfaces and improving the safety of users is within our remit. However, it is clear from the recent news items on the discharges into the sea and waterways that surface water management, below- ground management, storage/attenuation, and restrictions on the release of rainwater are all connected.
Rainwater systems should therefore be designed to work together from end-to-end so they can better handle the increasing abnormal peak events we are seeing and reduce the instances of water and land
September 2023
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
pollution. The call for end-to-end protection of drainage systems comes as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Environmental Improvement 25-year plan outlines goals to increase the efficiency of wastewater treatment to prevent untreated water from entering the ecosystem.
What issues do merchants need to be aware of?
The primary emphasis within the construction industry until 2050 revolves around achieving net-zero objectives. So as contractors are switching to green products across a wider range of solutions, the demand is increasing across the industry to reduce embodied carbon and become more sustainable. From a supplier perspective, we need
merchants to understand the intricate details of eco-friendly construction materials and technologies to enable effective customer engagement to increase sales. Additionally, up to the present day, we know there is a lack of willingness to understand the importance of sustainability, so it is vital merchants provide a platform for the voices of green suppliers like Dura Products as we must work closely to ensure we help the industry to meet the climate goals.
BMJ 31
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