The products that Floorspan Contracts manufacture and supply will form part of the built environment for years to come, and this in turn will be our legacy. Our aim is to take ownership and responsibility for this contribution by analysing our impact on the environment and then committing to reduce this impact by reviewing our own approach to business and by working closely with our clients, suppliers and partners in the supply chain to find the best solutions.

At Floorspan Contracts we believe the issues of environment and community are intrinsically linked. We will therefore examine our impact on the local community and attempt to realise the positive impact we can have.

In an attempt to examine and improve our environmental impact we have separated our key operations in to four areas.

• Office and Design
• Manufacture
• Haulage
• Site Installations

 

Floorspan Contracts are based in a modern office that is built to comply with and exceed the latest building regulations, particularly 'Conservation of fuel and power' 'Resistance to airborne sound' and Access and facilities for disabled people.

This environmentally responsible approach to the construction of the office results in the need for minimal heating in the winter and minimal cooling in the summer using substantially less energy. Maximum natural light and ventilation makes it a comfortable environment to work in.

Recycling of waste paper wherever possible is undertaken in the office. We are however committed to developing the efficiency of our recycling procedures.

We are moving towards a paperless quotation system. Email is used wherever possible, rather than the unsustainable use of paper through post or fax.

Brochure requests are dealt with electronically through email rather than a posted hardcopy; this has reduced our brochure printing by 60%.

Toners and Ink cartridges for our printers fax and copiers will be refilled rather than thrown away and replaced

All stationary and office supplies are sourced from a local outlet less than half a mile away from the site, which is easily accessed by foot.

Precast concrete provides unlimited design possibilities difficult to match with any other material, while creating structures that can provide superior environmental and energy performance from a life cycle perspective. Precast concrete offers a competitive building solution based on first cost, long-term economic benefits, energy efficiency, lower maintenance and overall operating costs as well as opportunities for future reuse when the occupancy of a building changes. With consideration and foresight it is possible to futureproof a building at the design stage, lessening the environmental impact of a building going forward.

Recycled components in the manufacture of concrete are used wherever possible.
Floorspan Contracts produces the raw concrete on site at or casting facility which further reduces the number of road miles attributed to our products by removing the need for multiple delivers of concrete to our yard by road.

Floorspan Contracts are committed to exploring and developing sustainable solutions to structural flooring in the future. Solutions could include polystyrene or other high insulation systems which contribute toward a high level of thermal efficiency.
At all times energy use will be kept to the minimum reasonably practicable level and conservation measures will be utilised to best effect, whether these be by change in equipment, materials, or by supervision.

Only registered or exempted waste carriers and managers are used in the removal of our waster materials and regular monitoring is maintained to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.

Waste is sorted on site and then taken away for further separation and recycling. At present we also employ a local contractor to remove waste concrete products from our yard to be crushed, sorted and recycled for use as sub base material.
Noise is recognised as one of the major non physical pollutants affecting, in particular, the relationship between our company and the public. Procedures will be prepared to ensure that noise is considered at the planning stage of any new project.

Best practicable means will be used to ensure the attenuation of noise. Hours of production are also considered, and sociable hours are maintained to lessen the affect of production on nearby premises. Furthermore, precast concrete creates less noise, dust and nuisance on construction sites because components are made offsite and transported. This allows the vast majority of unavoidable noise to be made on our non residential industrial estate.

Floorspan have worked hard to develop 'Floorspan Light-beam' which can be used in the majority of the floors we supply. This is 25% lighter and smaller than our Standard beams, therefore requiring 25% less concrete. Finally using lighter beams reduces the need for additional lifting equipment to be used onsite as they are easily and safely handled by two men. This is particularly beneficial in urban areas where minimal traffic disruption is critical.
The production of concrete can be water intensive. In order to lessen the impact on the environment Floorspan Contracts uses recycled water wherever possible for the cleaning of equipment and vehicles. Future plans include the installation of a rain water harvesting system to further embrace recycled water.

Floorspan Contracts work hard to reduce the number of road miles that can be attributed to our products. We have a system in place where 'multi drops' on the same vehicle are encouraged in order to save on miles travelled and therefore exhaust emissions. All our delivery vehicles are fitted with Satellite Navigation which helps to reduce the amount of unnecessary miles travelled and improves fuel consumption by planning the most direct, efficient route.

Procedures to provide and maintain delivery equipment to its best effect for conservation of energy are in place and adhered by supervision, regular servicing and inspection.

We have already invested in a 'EURO 5' certified lorry to comply with European emissions legislation and aim to continue this as we upgrade the fleet.

Recent lightweight additions to our product range have enabled us to deliver up to 30% move volume on any one delivery vehicle, further reducing the number of miles travelled.

Site installs are an important part of our business. Every effort is made to ensure our site operatives make a minimal impact on the surrounding environment and community when on site. All waste is collected and stored neatly for future collection and recycling, and operatives behave in a considerate manner towards the surrounding residents at all times.

The monitoring of compliance with this policy will be undertaken by the management who will respond accordingly and if necessary educate those failing to comply with codes of practice and procedure.

Monitoring will also extend to sub contractors whose subsequent selection and employment will be dependent on their co-operation and compliance with our environmental aspirations