PorthouseDean, specialists in providing superior structural calculations for the small-scale residential market in the UK, partnered with UKCRIC Limited to develop a bespoke software with an Application Programming Interface (API) to measure the environmental implications of construction projects.
PorthouseDean operates as a dynamic engineering company that embraces a youthful entrepreneurial ethos. With a close-knit team hailing from six different cultural backgrounds, the company prides itself on its diversity and inclusive work environment. Through recent years, the company has undergone transformative changes, optimising its processes and enhancing technological capabilities. Noteworthy innovations include the implementation of an automated multinational engineering workflow, enabling engineers to concentrate on their core expertise.
In response to the growing demand for environmental sustainability in the construction industry, and mandatory Green House Gas reporting in the UK, PorthouseDean, faced a pivotal challenge – the need to calculate scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions are the indirect emissions that occur in the value chain of an organisation, such as the emissions from suppliers, customers and logistics. Scope 3 emissions, while critical for a comprehensive environmental assessment, lacked a defined framework within PorthouseDean's projects. The hurdles to overcome were twofold. First, extracting precise data on specified materials and quantities from their output product proved challenging. The intricacies of this process required a level of expertise beyond their in-house capabilities. Second, the variability in methodologies calculating scope 3 emissions and lack of standardisation posed another hurdle. To address the first challenge, PorthouseDean sought assistance from Innovate UK EDGE, who sponsored a project in partnership with UKCRIC Limited, the trading company of the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructures and Cities (UKCRIC). This collaboration not only brought essential technical skills to the table but also provided extensive domain knowledge specific to the industry.
UKCRIC Limited’s specific contribution was completed by its collaborative member, the Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) at the University of Cambridge. A custom software with an API interface was developed that takes engineering outputs produced by PorthouseDean, in the form of structural calculations reports and technical drawings, and computes the number and type of structural elements used. The value of this API is that it can be automated and is infinitely scalable. PorthouseDean works on more than 100 structural projects a year and the API allows them to add an Environmental Study service to their projects at marginal cost, requiring only a small investment of an engineer’s time. In addition to providing a new stream of income, this project also raises the company’s and customers' awareness of the environmental consequences resulting from construction projects. Moreover, this initiative marks a paradigm shift in the small-scale structural engineering industry. Traditionally, customers in this segment are presented with trade-offs involving speed, cost and aesthetics. Now, a fourth dimension enters the equation, offering customers a comprehensive understanding of the environmental implications, thus reshaping the decision-making landscape. Lastly, this capability opens the door for PorthouseDean to collaborate with a wider pool of architectural partners who focus on sustainability and were previously frustrated by the lack of environmental consideration from engineers.