As engineering and construction experts we know that you’re committed to balancing an environmentally responsible approach to projects with the right commercial outcomes. We’re innovating towards Sustainable Construction – here’s the story so far.
As a company grounded in expertise, Clark-Drain is now fully committed to developing products that not only meet the very specific commercial and operational challenges that infrastructure contractors, builders and others in this industry have, but that also meet your sustainability standards, in line with initiatives now in legislative force.
From car parks, rail and motorway infrastructure, to Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDs), and commercial and industrial projects, our expertise enables you to deliver quality access, drainage and surface water management solutions. And with our recycled and recyclable products we also genuinely help you to deliver on your carbon targets – not only in realising a build, but also over the lifespan of its entire usage.
Let’s delve a little deeper…
Innovation: the key to longevity and low carbon
Clark-Drain is strategically committed to investing in innovation, to make our products stronger, safer, longer-lasting and environmentally more sustainable, from the materials we use – and re-use – through to the manufacturing process.
We don’t develop in a vacuum however. We closely listen to the needs of our customers, and see it as our duty to be at the vanguard of interpreting and implementing broad-brush requirements for carbon certifications - turning insights into products that not only conform to, but very often exceed, regulatory norms.
Our commitment: not a drain on the environment
To give you an idea of how we innovate, with longevity and sustainability in equal measure, consider Technodrain, our advanced, linear drainage channel.
Versatile and economic, light and quick to install, Technodrain is made from High Density Polyethylene (HD-PE), which delivers a long life at a low whole-life cost. As well as its outstanding physical characteristics, HD-PE has minimal impact on the environment, for a number of reasons: It takes less energy to manufacture HD-PE than non-plastic products; it is lightweight and very cost-effective to transport, and because it is so robust, less waste is created from breakages as Technodrain reaches the construction site undamaged.
It’s this kind of holistic thinking – from performance and versatility, to sustainable longevity - that typifies Clark-Drain’s 360 degree thinking in developing products.
Environmental needs, material imperatives
At the heart of sweeping changes to reduce the impact infrastructure developments have on the planet’s resources is our collective ability to use and re-use materials. In order to support town and city roads and buildings, recycling is a fundamental principle in maintaining equilibrium with better surroundings and an ever-reducing use of energy.
Clark-Drain considers recycling to be one of its finest achievements over the past three decades. For example, we were the first company to produce100% recycled and recyclable polypropylene channels and chambers. These products do the job to perfection over the course of their durable lives. When they are finally exhausted and need replacing, they can be decommissioned and returned to their original state to be remoulded into a similarly hard-wearing alternative product. Over and over again, potentially…
Sustainability: the future of construction
During construction projects, care must be taken to reduce waste and energy consumption where possible and protect the natural environment around building sites. The end result of a sustainable construction project requires environmentally friendly buildings and an environment conducive to long-term use and habitation.
The kind of innovation that Clark-Drain practices aligns with the UK government’s Clean Growth Strategy, which outlines its commitment to reducing the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by at least 80% by 2050. Construction is playing its part, with initiatives like BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method), a global sustainability standard which helps to improve the environmental performance of buildings. Sustainable Construction is much more than a buzz-phrase, putting renewable and recyclable resources and materials at the heart of projects.
Clark-Drain does everything it can to ensure that Sustainable Construction can be a reality, across the board, and sooner rather than later.
Lightweight products, easy to handle and install
Innovation and Sustainability are today a focus in the products we offer to our clients, but let’s not forget what is also essential; the element of performance that Clark-Drain built its reputation on. More recent considerations do not alleviate the need to create products that are light-weight, so require less fuel to transport, and ease of installation and handling mitigates the need for heavy, polluting machinery on-site, which is necessary for dealing with heavier products. That remains a staple of Clark-Drain’s offer. The everyday consideration of the builder is of paramount importance to us.
We bring assured convenience, high performance, innovation and environmental endurance to all our products, making Clark-Drain the ideal choice for the constructions industry’s drainage needs – regardless of size or nature of project.