Inspection of various bridges in accordance with the NRA’s Eirspan Bridge inspection and reporting pro-forma. A total of 279 bridges were inspected for this project, 108 bridges for North Tipperary County Council and 171 bridges for Kilkenny County Council. Completed Eirspan databases were issued back to each Local Authority to facilitate future inspections. In addition, a final summary report was issued to each Local Authority on any repair/reconstruction works to be programmed.
Policies that govern our processes are key to achieving our goals. As an ISO-accredited organisation, we are held to account for our Environmental Management and Waste Management standards. Our Environmental Management System ensures our policies are comprehensive and comply with our long-term goals. It encapsulates sustainable procurement, supply chain management, and material sourcing. As part of our commitment to Goal 12, we implement waste management policies, recycling programmes, and circular economy initiatives to help us achieve our goal.
Designing for the future begins in the now. Together with design teams, we work to provide designs that meet sustainable development standards. How we choose to build, the materials we select, and the carbon associated with them, all impact our design choices. At PUNCH, we have developed an R&D Group which investigates the benefits of adopting Modern Methods of Construction and lower embodied carbon materials from a sustainability perspective. Our design processes adopt sustainable technologies and evaluation processes. We encourage our teams to develop and use innovative techniques and methods in our portfolio of work, ensuring that staff have access to any information they might need in order to enhance their work. Our Pledge to Net Zero has given us insight into the thought leadership needed to achieve this goal.
Clean water and sanitation are basic human rights. Our work designing water and wastewater facilities is only part of our responsibility as engineers. We recognise that water usage is a right not everyone is afforded. Therefore, we have a duty to ensure that we do not excessively use or waste this valuable resource. As part of our commitment to net-zero, we monitor our water usage across our offices by checking the facilities in place, examining water meters and inspecting the efficiency of white goods in our canteens. On our projects, we implement water management plans, including water reuse potential for landscaping and rainwater utilisation. We fully embrace Sustainable Urban Drainage systems in our designs, which help with maintaining clean and reliable water sources.
At PUNCH, we understand the value of education. That’s why we support our staff who wish to undertake further education and training. We encourage staff members to maintain their Continuous Professional Development (CPD) accreditations with Engineers Ireland. We also continue to offer training in sustainable design and construction through seminars, in-house lectures, and external training programmes. We promote the achievement of professional titles with institutions such as Engineers Ireland, the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland, the Institute of Structural Engineers, and the Institute of Civil Engineers.
