How Groundforce supports your carbon reporting

If you rent a hydraulic prop for only 10 weeks, should you be responsible for 100% of its carbon emissions? No, because it wouldn’t make sense.

Temporary works like trench boxes, hydraulic props, and frames aren’t built for single-use. They’re rented, reused, and maintained across dozens of projects over their lifetime.

This creates a dilemma: how do you measure the carbon emissions from something that is shared? How do you ensure fairness and accuracy when reporting your project’s environmental impact?

A hydraulic prop with a 10-year lifespan might be hired for just 10 weeks. That’s 1/52 of its life.

But carbon reporting isn’t as simple as dividing by lifespan. You have to remember that the product wasn’t produced for the purpose of being stored, it only exists because it can be useful…

So, you need to take into account how often it is being used, how far it travels, and what it’s made from. Without careful calculation, you could be overestimating—or worse, underestimating—your project’s carbon footprint.

Our technical note provides a clear framework for calculating these emissions, outlining the key factors to consider.

To view the full calculation details, scan the QR code provided on each of our design outputs or access the technical note online.

How Our Carbon Calculator Works

This newsletter explains the main factors we take into account when calculating the carbon emissions for temporary works. For the full methodology and equations, refer to the technical note.

1. Materials

Every piece of equipment starts with raw materials.

Steel, for example, produces 3.0 tonnes of CO2e per tonne during production, while aluminium emits more than double at 7.0 tonnes of CO2e per tonne.

Instead of attributing the full carbon footprint of equipment to a single hire, emissions are spread across the equipment’s expected lifespan, eg. 10-years (520-weeks). The calculations factor in utilisation rates to reflect real-world usage.

Example: A hydraulic prop with 50% utilisation would have a lifespan of 260 weeks instead of 520. For a 7.5-tonne prop hired for 10 weeks:

0.0145kg CO2e /kg/ week × 7,500kg × 10 weeks = 1,087.5kg CO2e

2. Transport Emissions

This stage calculates emissions for delivery and collection of equipment between our depots and your project site. It accounts for:

●???? Journey Distance: The Groundforce average roundtrip is 192 km.

●???? Vehicle Type: Based on diesel-powered HGVs.

●???? Load Size: Adjusted for shipment weight and vehicle carrying capacity.

Two levels of precision are offered:

●???? High-Level (HL): Quick and simple, uses average journey distances and shipment weights for approximate results.

●???? Detailed Level (DL): Customisable to input custom journey distances and vehicle details for greater precision.

Example:

For a 7.5-tonne hire, with a 200km round trip:

●???? HL Approach: 225.0 kg CO2e

●???? DL Approach: 240.0 kg CO2e (based on specific distance and vehicle data).

3. Total Carbon

Through combining material and transport emissions, the total carbon footprint can be calculated:

●???? Materials: 1,087.5 kgCO2e

●???? Transport: 225.0 kgCO2e

●???? Total: 1,312.5 kgCO2e

By distributing emissions based on usage and transport, the carbon calculation lets you compare scenarios, account only for your project’s emissions, and comply with standards like BS EN 15978.

Want to See the Full Methodology?

If you're interested in the formulas, find the full technical note here.

Oliver Smith

Engineering Director

Oliver is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Manager with over 14 years of experience in Civil Engineering and Construction. A Leeds University graduate, he has worked in technical, site-based, and leadership roles for top-tier contractors, consultants, and specialist suppliers.