Tag: ConcreteWaste

GBCA Members | Sustainability in the Sydney Building and Construction Industry

Posted on by Taylor

PumperDump is proud to be acknowledged becoming a member of the Green Building Council of Australia.

Our membership demonstrates our commitment to “the sustainable transformation of the built environment”. PumperDump’s core vision aligns with the GBCA in being able to proudly and ethically recycle 100% of all concrete waste and washout water resulting from construction activity, providing a sustainable and zero emissions future for our construction clients as well as for our industry.



This is an association with Australia’s sustainability leaders who are committed to:
  • Supporting the creation of buildings and other infrastructure that are environmentally responsible and result in sustainable, efficient, profitable and healthy places for communities to live and work in.
  • Fostering a strong bind amongst peers and associates in the building, design, construction, and sustainable operations industries;
  • Encouraging the development and promotion of sustainable communities and environmentally responsible building practices;
  • Leading market transformation in sustainability and campaigning for the wider recognition of environmentally responsible buildings and practices;
  • Supporting and encouraging educational and research programs aimed at raising the knowledge and skill base of green building practitioners;
  • Actively aligning with relevant publicly funded research to the practice/market requirements for innovation and development in green building implementation;
  • Participating in public debate on environmental issues within the building industry;
  • Supporting the campaigning and soliciting of funds to be applied towards the GBCA’s objectives;
  • Acting with integrity, due care, and in a manner that upholds the reputation of the works and objectives of the GBCA and Green Star rating tools, its officers and employees.
We are pleased to be joining some of the industry’s most influential players on the Green Building Council of Australia register. Below are some of PumperDump’s clients who too are accredited members of the GBCA. Read below some of the exciting developments these companies are currently involved in around Sydney.

ADCO Constructions
With a national presence across Australia for nearly 50 years, ADCO Construction is one of the oldest and most established construction companies in Australia. A company committed to delivering quality to their clients, ADCO Constructions has managed to build a legacy amongst the industry – with over 3500 projects, valued in excess of $14 billion. Amongst their roaring success, ADCO is also a proud member of the Green Building Council of Australia and remain committed to the success and increased adoption of sustainable construction practices. Some of ADCO Construction’s recent Sydney projects include being the building partner for the next Property Industry Foundation (PIF) House in Sydney, which will give five homeless youth a safe and secure place to live.

Hutchinson Builders
Established in 1912, Hutchinson Builders is one of Australia’s largest privately-owned building and construction companies. Hutchinson Builders have transformed into a dynamic and diverse construction company, delivering sophisticated projects across a comprehensive portfolio. With 300+ projects built annually, “Hutchies” was able to generate a $2.87 billion turnover in 2020 alone. As members of the Green Building Council of Australia, they are leading the way in developing sustainable approaches and building services systems which address the key environmental criteria associated within the construction industry. With one in every 12 Green Star Rated building in Australia been built by Hutchinson Builders, they have delivered more than $2 billion Green Star Rated buildings. Hutchinson Builders have recently undertaken the first phase of truss installation for the Castle Residence project, working alongside United Development Sydney, bringing together high-end apartments with five-star luxury hotel services and amenities.

Richard Crookes Constructions
A private, family owned construction company that has been delivering projects as promised; safely and to the highest quality throughout NSW and ACT since 1976. Richard Crookes Constructions remains committed to continually improving the integration of sustainability into their working environment and business processes. RCC aims to portray a proactive role in contributing towards achieving sustainability where they have an influence in the delivery of construction. Whilst being members of the Green Building Council of Australia, Richard Crookes Constructions remains committed to following key objectives with regards to; Sustainable construction, reduced operational resources and sustainable reuse at end of service life. Current projects included the redevelopment of the Wyong Hospital in Hamlyn Terrace, NSW.

PumperDump looks forward to pushing the sustainability agenda for all our projects for the benefit of our clients and the community.

Want to know more, then get in touch

#PumperDumpSolution #Construction #ConstructionIndustry #ConcreteRecycling #ContructionWaste #ConcreteSolutions #ConcreteManagement #ConcretePump #ConcreteWashout #ConcreteWasteManagement #C&DWaste #CircularEconomy #GreenBuilding #Pollution #NSW #NSWGovernment #Sustainability #Sydney #SydneyConstruction


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Introducing PumperDump’s New 5m3 Patent Pending Blowback Bin

Posted on by Taylor
Transforming industry experience, a wealth of knowledge and continuous system innovation for concrete pumping and concrete waste collection, PumperDump has been a player in the concrete pumping industry for years.

With the roaring success of the 2m3 (2 Cubic Meter) blowback bin which launched more than 10 years ago, it was not difficult to notice the gap in the market for something a little bigger. After months of planning and trialling, we are proud to introduce the new 5m3 (5 Cubic Meter) blowback bin to the streets of Sydney. 

Our latest innovation would not be possible without the collaboration of some important players in the industry.

We would like to thank Bincorp for the manufacturing of the bin, De Martin & Gasparini for assisting during the construction and for trialling the bin, and WATPAC for permitting this bin to be trialled on their site. We would also like to give thanks to Azzurri Concrete for their input during the construction.


This video shows the second blowback in the same bin without being emptied. PumperDump believes a modest improvement as such could save concrete pumping companies, builders and concrete suppliers money over the duration of a project.

How you ask?

While the delivery line is short and the bin is set in place, you will be able to get a couple of blowbacks into the same bin before it needs to be emptied. Depending on who is paying for the current blowback truck, this could reduce the blowback bill considerably. The bin is also ready at your disposal if there are any problems to occur during the pour – so no waiting for a blowback truck to arrive when time is crucial.

For builders, concreters or concrete suppliers who care about sustainability, there is far less truck movement, reducing the carbon usage associated with a blowout as well completely eliminating the use of plastic, strongly keeping to our policy of no plastic in any of the equipment or waste stream.

Lastly, for the concrete suppliers. There is no need to immediately cart concrete to your yard – reducing fuel consumption, turnaround time for the next load is much quicker, as well as reduced tipping or carting fees for the removal of waste concrete brought back to your yard.

So, depending on who you are in the industry there is a saving for you!

As this is a new system, we have a very limited number of 5m3 (5 Cubic Meter) bins. Nonetheless, we are more than happy to talk to any party interested in using a 5m3 on their current or new projects.
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Agreeing on a Problem that Needs to be Solved

Posted on by Richard

In summary, the problem associated to the residential builder, is the same as the builder who uses the washout bags, washout trays and piles the concrete in a heap. They all have a degree of hidden costs associated with the handling of the concrete washout waste.

These range in degree of costs in the areas:

  • Use of plastic
  • Use of onsite plant
  • Time for manual labour to clean up messes
  • Extra tip fees
  • Uncontained water runoff and possible pollution infringements
  • Giving the recycler a plastic contaminated product to recycle
  • Unnecessary carbon emitted
  • Unsustainable practices while dealing with concrete waste
  • Onsite safety

I ask you, is this because the builders view the concrete industry like it was in the 1930’s, or because they believe there is no other option on how to deal with this waste, or is it because builders just don’t notice all the hidden costs associated with this process?

Building the Sydney Harbour Bridge

I have on many occasions taken people through our cost comparison chart and they have agreed with the cost savings in using PumperDump, then continue to go back to the same old ways. Change is hard, I know because I also need to do it, but change is what drives improvement.

Even though the word “Sustainability” hasn’t been shouted until recently, the practices have always been there when improving site safety, the environment and the bottom line. Sustainability is now expanding the core areas and the responsibility along the chain is becoming more accountable.

The belief that the waste in the bin is someone else’s problem, is now coming back to the creator of the waste. Builders need to and are becoming more aware of their responsibility on running a building site.

Concrete pumping has never been scrutinised under a microscope, but if viewed through a sustainable lens, builders can reap large benefits over large projects when these practices are implemented.



If you are facing the same problems as theses other builders and are willing to look for a solution and a better way, give me the time to show you what we can offer.

My next post,  what you have told us you need, to solve this problem.

#PumperDump #Construction #ConstructionIndustry #ConcreteRecycling #ContructionWaste #ConcreteSolutions #ConcreteManagement #ConcretePump #ConcreteWashout #ConcreteWasteManagement #C&DWaste #CircularEconomy #GreenBuilding #Pollution #NSW #NSWGovernment #Sustainability #Sydney #SydneyConstruction

Want to know more, then get in touch

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A Sustainable Solution

Posted on by Richard

Builders have been telling me that they need a sustainable solution to address the problem.

Sustainability

Sustainability is defined as the ability of a system to exist constantly at a cost, in a universe that evolves towards thermodynamic equilibrium, the state with maximum entropy. In the 21st century, it refers generally to the capacity for the biosphere and human civilisation to coexist. For many in the field, sustainability is defined through the following interconnected domains or pillars: environment, economic and social. 

Sustainability is not environmentalism and people in the construction industry are slowly recognising the difference.

The Venn diagram shows how sustainability intertwines different areas to achieve a better outcome. Sustainability is slowly becoming the way to do business as large funding organisations are requiring better accountability before finance is approved.


Adams, W.M. (2006). The Future of Sustainability: Re-thinking Environment and Development in the Twenty-first Century. Report of the IUCN Renowned Thinkers Meeting, 29–31 January 2006 (PDF). Retrieved 16 February2009.

The increasing focus and relevance of sustainability in the construction industry is more than just ‘being green’, sustainability encompasses, social, environment and economic, and I believe that “concrete pumping” as an industry, needs to be viewed in a new light as it has a major role in construction and the hidden costs and opportunities for a sustainable process should not be overlooked.

My next post, a solution proposed.

#ConcreteWaste #Construction #ClimateChange #Sustainability #PumperDump

Want to know more, then get in touch

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Aggravating the Process and Contributing to the Waste

Posted on by Richard

I have tried not to make any comments in the past posts but, I was confused why the builder was even using the tray when all they would do is tip it into a pile on the ground. The pile of concrete is contaminated with plastic from the tray lining like the other methods mentioned in my previous posts.


The piling and removal of the concrete would mean double, even triple handling of this waste. This pile would only amount to a very small portion of the leftover concrete on this site. What a mess!

Concrete mixers have also poured their remaining concrete on the pile instead of returning it to the batching yard. This will save the builder money, but now the builder will need to organise a machine on site with a hammer to break up the concrete before it can be loaded and taken to a tip or recycler.

The mess left over is quite obvious. It may bother some builders and maybe not others, having a site with this amount of slurry left that could create a hazard, a cost and generally poor look.

My next post,  summary of the problems.

#ConcreteWaste #BadPractice #Sustainability #PumperDump

Want to know more, then get in touch

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Challenges and Risks of Working with Concrete

Posted on by Richard

Hello again, as mentioned in our introductory post, over the years we have had feedback from different builders in the industry about their problems.   As a growing company with a specialised service, we have used the feedback to help guide our growth to better serve the construction industry and assist in solving the problems and associated costs in that specific sector and making the full process sustainable. 

Here are some of the things we have learned

  • The cost of waste. The most generally talked about problem, is the increase in cost of waste over the years. Builders on larger sites have the option of getting different skip bins to separate waste streams and increase recycling and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. The builders on confined spaces, besides having a logistical problem, need to reduce the amount of waste produced on their site. 
  • Some builders tell us that some skip bin companies are having an issue with wet concrete being tipped into their skips. This wet concrete when dried is getting stuck to the inside of the skip and causing a problem when they attempt to tip. Besides getting stuck in the bin, the concrete also binds to the general waste making the separation of waste for recycling difficult, resulting in sending more concrete to land fill.  
  • After a concrete pump has been washed and the washout water hasn’t been contained properly, council fines are a major concern. There is also the labour and time to clean up the mess and the cost can add up.  
  • Hidden costs can make a budget blow out, so more builders are calculating their hidden costs associated with crane or manitou time relating to the movements in delivering and emptying the concrete washout tray, and also the waste cost when tipping the concrete into the onsite skip. There is also the time in finding storage space for the washout tray to live.   
  • Sustainability is slowly becoming more important in the construction industry. Some of you may be nodding in agreement, some may be thinking not the greenies again! Sustainability encompasses, social, environmental, and economic factors. Those ahead of the curve may be looking for new systems to assist them to advance in that area. 
  • Plastic waste is becoming a bigger concern to some in the construction industry as a lot is used when pumping concrete. The contamination of plastic in concrete for recyclers is becoming a bigger problem as recycling of a clean product can make money for some and save money for others. Companies concerned in sustainable practices may be interested in reducing the use of plastic in this area. 

As we go through the different methods used by different builders, I’ll leave it up to you to make your own mind up. Maybe you have done the same or maybe you have found a different method that has helped you make some savings. Feel free to comment as we are here to help each other out. 


Residential Building Waste 
Let’s start with this residential builder. They have decided to contain their washout waste by lining the street with plastic. The common feedback from different builders when shown this shot, is about the hard labour needed to break up and remove the concrete. There is also the time to go to the tip and back, with tips fees, and that time could be better spent out on their boat, fishing! Jokes aside, each of us will have a thought on the cost of time and labour and how each of those can be spent productively.  

  





EPA Fines and Personal Risk 

There is the possible risk of a fine with this waste left on the road, not only as a driver’s hazard, but when the water is released, even though it would be clear, is still very high in pH and would run into the stormwater. 
 
No crane or manitou, just plastic, some shovels, a wheelbarrow and a pile of concrete and couple of young blokes, hopefully no bad backs, and off we go. Not sure what they will be doing with the water? 

Next post, the problem with plastic washout bags.  




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