First steps
A commitment to the target was required of every tradesperson working on site for the entire length of the construction process.
There were three key areas that our project managers focused on:
1. Managing construction waste
2. Ensuring the right materials were selected and used
3. Closely monitoring work practices on site
To ensure deadlines were consistently met, Frasers Property Australia provided additional staff resources when necessary, as the extra demands of the LBC® were felt by various construction teams. Some of these demands, such a ensuring all waste is disposed of correctly, are not typical of traditional building sites.
Flexibility and innovative approaches to solve problems as they arose became paramount and highly valued. For example, an on-site emergency materials shop was established, which enabled tenancy contractors to source products and materials that meet LBC® requirements in the event that they couldn’t source them elsewhere.
What to do with waste
On a “normal” construction site there are no building regulations that restrict the amount of waste sent to landfill, and certainly no monitoring of whether this actually happens. Construction companies are able to set their own expectations around waste and recycling practices. The LBC® turns how we think about waste on its head. It views waste as a ‘resource’. For the LBC®, all waste generated during construction must be accounted for.
Through construction, all waste was sorted and recycled or re-used where possible, weighed and independently audited. Any waste destined for landfill will be compensated through a one-time carbon offset contribution. A staggering 99% of waste generated during construction of Burwood Brickworks was diverted from landfill.
How waste was managed on site was meticulously planned from the beginning, in collaboration with our contracted builder Hacer Group and waste contractor Fieldmans Waste Management. Protocols around waste also had to be flexible to adapt to the different stages of construction.
All waste on site, such as metals, timber, paper and cardboard, polystyrene, plaster and concrete was separated, before being taken to relevant recycling centres to be weighed and sorted. Some waste, such as plastics, was collected in co-mingled bins that was then sorted off-site. The risk for contamination of bins containing recyclable materials is high. Adhering to strict waste rules was paramount to success. Signs posted around the site and on-site bins served as a reminder to workers to dispose of their waste correctly. Safety officers patrolled the site regularly, ensuring tradespeople were aware of expectations and adhered to them.
The smell test
One big difference in Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre as a construction site is a distinct lack of smell.
That new building smell is actually a clear indicator that materials containing toxic chemicals have been used. To meet Living Building Challenge® requirements any materials containing LBC® Red List chemicals were banned from use on site, and in addition, for interior products with the potential to emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), these had to be tested prior to being used.
At times, the smell of a non-compliant product, such as a floor varnish, paint or adhesive, was the only indicator it has been used. When non-compliant products or materials were discovered on site, we stopped work, confiscated products and demanded non-compliant products that had been used be replaced.
Sourcing compliant materials was a problem at times for smaller contracted tradespeople, because there is often a minimum order quantity required for a supplier to change the way they make their products. Materials containing polyvinyl-chloride (PVC), for example, were banned from use at Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre. PVC is commonly used in the outer casing of electrical cabling. Our demand for PVC-free electrical cabling outstripped Victorian supply, forcing us to source the products we needed interstate.
At times independent contractors, such as those working on tenant fitouts, found it difficult to source LBC® compliant alternatives. To keep the project on track, we allowed contractors to purchase products we had sourced and made these products available to them on site. With easy access to items such as LBC® compliant wire cabling, paint and adhesives, tradespeople could get on with completing the job without jeopardising the LBC® aspirations, even as time pressures were critical.
Spot checks
We took the adherence to waste and materials selection protocols during construction extremely seriously.
This meant policing the site. The contracted builder, Hacer Group, teamed with Frasers Property’s health and safety officers to conduct random spot checks around the site regularly. Anyone in breach of the rules would be expected to rectify mistakes. When work on site ramped up to a seven-day-a-week schedule, so did health and safety personnel, who ensured no corners were cut during the acceleration to the end of construction.
Health and safety officers also oversaw the induction of all tradespeople before they could begin working on site. The induction educated workers about the LBC®, informing them about site rules and why they existed. The induction process for shopfitters included a requirement for individuals to present their proposed products prior to being allowed to work. Many potential mistakes were caught this way. It helped align everyone’s responsibilities with the project’s ambitious goals. The workforce developed a distinct sense of pride in being part of something bigger, better.
As a result of being involved in the LBC®, Hacer Group has implemented more sustainable measures within its own organisation at its head office and on its construction sites. This includes the development of an internal Environmental Sustainable Working Group, a review of all consumable products used by the company and investigating options around “green” construction sites.
Skills put to the test
A part of building with new products is learning that they don’t always behave like the products you are typically used to working with. The LBC®’s materials Red List was a concept that was new to virtually every contractor that worked on site, including Hacer Group.
The requirements for Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre often tested builders’ boundaries. Builders were asked to vet the ingredients of all materials and were regularly asked to work with new materials in new ways, which meant learning new skills and testing their own thinking about what was possible.
It also meant that at times, timelines were stretched. It took, for example, longer to lay all the pipework at Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre than anticipated because, without the use of PVC and PVC joinery and adhesive, the alternative High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes had to be welded together. This was more labour intensive and required different skills that had to be learnt on the job.
The building also incorporates many salvaged materials. Salvaged materials are not perfect by nature, it might come in different lengths or widths or colours than what has been designed. Sourcing salvaged materials that met everybody’s design expectations was often difficult and compromises had to be met with innovation.
At every turn, it seemed, designers, contractors, tenants and tradespeople had to learn and adapt. Overcoming these challenges often meant design decisions were made and adjusted on-the-spot. Flexibility and faith that for every challenge a solution could be found became a core function.
Counting the cost
Builders typically have preferred suppliers. It helps them know how much jobs will cost and reassures them they can rely on the supply chain to meet deadlines.
At Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre, as new products and materials were sourced down the supply chain, it also meant a shifting of costs while new supplier relationships were formed.
Imagine you are the contracted tiler for a shop fitout. You quote the job based on your experience and have an expectation around what your materials and labour will cost. Then you learn that you have to use new products from a new supplier with a different price point and potentially a different method of application. You have no credit with the supplier, have to pay for products you have never used before up-front and now don’t know how long the job will take.
This was a challenge faced by many of our tenants and smaller contractors working on tenancy fitouts. But what resulted was opportunity. Tenants and contractors were introduced to new suppliers, they built new relationships and worked in new ways that many never thought possible.
Sometimes the only way to inspire change is by changing your own ways.
