• Colemans and Aston University aim to develop first-to-market technology to improve management of dust on demolition sites
• Dust from the sector pollutes waterways and can be harmful to health
• The project bolsters Colemans’ capacity for developing and delivering innovative forms of demolition and deconstruction that challenge current practices.

When inhaled, microparticulate silica dust from building materials can be harmful to human health. Conventional forms of dust management consume vast quantities of water, usually in the form of sprays, which would otherwise be safeguarded for human consumption. This water-intensive approach can create harmful slurry that pollutes waterways and blocks sewage systems.

The project aims to tackle the environmental cost of dust management with an intelligent system that reduces water and energy usage, and in doing so, disrupts current practices across the industry.

Mark Coleman, CEO of demolition, deconstruction and remediation specialists, Colemans said: “Solving an industry-wide problem like dust management requires a very specialist knowledge base, so this project allows us to work in collaboration with specialist engineers to exchange ideas and expertise. It means we can get to work to tackle the environmental costs of demolition dust in ways that would not be possible if we were to tackle this challenge on our own.”

Exploring and prototyping alternative forms of dust suppression requires specialist mechanical, design and mechatronics expertise. For this project the company is partnering with Aston University’s Mechanical, Biomedical and Design Engineering researchers. Working with a range of commercial partners, the academics have a track record of applying mechanical and biomedical engineering to improve designs for the water, energy, oil and gas, and civil engineering sectors.

Dr Yu Jia, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at Aston University, said: “As a group of mechanical engineers, we’re very passionate about designing things better to reduce pollution and improve efficiencies. By partnering with Colemans - a company that prioritises environmental impact over economic impact - we’re working together to develop a sophisticated dust suppression system that aims to be the first to deliver much-needed reductions in water and energy use on demolition sites.”

KTPs funded by Innovate UK are collaborations between a business, a university and a highly qualified research associate. The UK-wide programme helps businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills. Aston University is a sector-leading provider, and this year celebrated outstanding performance in Knowledge Exchange Framework for the fifth consecutive year.
For more information on the KTP visit the webpage.