BAM Ritchies ___________________________________________________________________________________________
a 20 per cent increase in operation we get from our consumables and drilling elements .
“ Although there ’ s typically an initial cost incurred by the implementation of sustainable practices , we must put cost concerns to one side and accept the changes we need to make . It ’ s not about stopping what we ’ re doing , but rather doing those things in a better way that minimizes environmental impact .”
As our conversation draws to a close and shifts towards the company ’ s future , Matt reveals some of the exciting developments in the pipeline . “ We ’ re currently involved in an interesting project with Strathclyde University , researching microbially induced calcite precipitation ,” he explains . “ It ’ s about mixing bacteria with different nutrients to create calcite crystals , which create strong bonds between grains within the poor soil and sand .
“ Essentially , we ’ re trying to find a way to reverse the geological process by taking sand or soil and turning it into rock . We ’ re now looking to trial the technology with various government bodies to tackle coastal erosion and ground improvements . It can also repair cracked concrete , resulting in a self-healing concrete that is amazingly sustainable and very low carbon .
“ It ’ s a really exciting technology that I ’ d like to see us rolling out for real-world uses in the next five years ,” Matt proposes . “ Also , within that timeframe , we ’ ll hopefully be central to the UK ’ s energy transition , delivering sustainable solutions and the necessary infrastructure .
“ In terms of growth , we don ’ t have aggressive targets , but instead take the mindset of having enough work to keep all our people busy and fulfilled ,” he concludes . “ We believe that if we create the right conversations and have positive engagements with customers , then a natural by product is financial success .” ■
www . bamnuttall . co . uk / groundengineering
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