Using unbound IBAA in construction activities: RPS 206
Updated 31 July 2020
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-unbound-municipal-incinerator-bottom-ash-aggregate-ibaa-in-construction-activities-rps-206/use-of-unbound-ibaa-in-certain-construction-activities-rps-206
This regulatory position statement (RPS) applies if you use unbound municipal incinerator bottom ash aggregate (IBAA) in certain construction activities. It also covers storage of IBAA in relation to its use.
Unbound IBAA includes IBAA in hydraulically-bound mixtures (HBMs). A HBM is where IBAA is mixed with water and a binder such as cement to form a mixture which then sets.
For the purpose of this RPS a surface water body is a relevant territorial water, coastal water or inland freshwater (as defined by the Water Resources Act 1991).
This RPS does not apply to any other activity, even if it is under the same legislation. You may still need other permits or licences for other activities you carry out.
Conditions you must comply with
Using IBAA may produce hydrogen so you must take appropriate safeguards.
You must:
- follow the hydrogen safeguarding guidance in the Material Safety Data Sheets
- comply with the guidance Dispose of business or commercial waste
- comply with hazardous waste controls
- store unbound IBAA securely
- follow the Health and Safety Executive precautions on the use of IBAA or other equivalent measures
- keep records for 2 years that show you have complied with this RPS – you must make these records available to the Environment Agency on request
For each delivery the producer must record in writing the:
- date of supply
- name and contact details of the producer and distributors (as applicable), including the site of production’s address
- quantity supplied (by weight or volume)
- statement from the producer that the material meets the relevant standard for an end use specified in this RPS and has been supplied for that use
You must give a copy of this record to the end user of the unbound IBAA. Both parties must:
- keep the record for a minimum of 2 years
- make each record available to the Environment Agency on request
You must not store or use unbound IBAA within:
- a groundwater source protection zone 1 or 2
- 50 metres of any spring or well, or any borehole used to supply water, including private water supplies
You must make sure your activity does not endanger human health or the environment. You must not:
- use, or supply for use, IBAA underneath any residential building or garden
- store IBAA for more than 6 months before use
- cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals
- cause a nuisance through noise or odour
- adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest
All aggregate products must comply with BS EN 13242:2013 or any revision of that standard. You need to pay for this standard.
Building a road sub-base
You can use an unlimited quantity of unbound IBAA to build a road sub-base providing:
- the width of the IBAA emplacement is not more than 40 metres
- the road, cycleway or footpath is asphalt, concrete or other low permeable material
Building a construction or structural platform
You can use IBAA to build a construction or structural platform that is on average one metre thick. It must be at least 25 metres from a surface water body. At least 95% of it must be entirely covered by a low permeability surface or building.
The amount of IBAA you can use depends on the distance to a surface water body as shown in the following table.
| Distance to water body (metres) | Maximum tonnage (tonnes) (Dry) | Volume after compaction assuming 1.7T/m3 (m3) | Maximum surface area of a structural platform (m2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-50 | 4,420 | 2,600 | 2,600 |
| 50-100 | 6,800 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| 100-150 | 13,600 | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| 150-200 | 20,400 | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| 200-250 | 27,200 | 16,000 | 16,000 |
| 250-300 | 34,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| 300-350 | 40,800 | 24,000 | 24,000 |
| 350-400 | 47,600 | 28,000 | 28,000 |
| 400-450 | 54,400 | 32,000 | 32,000 |
| 450-500 | 61,200 | 36,000 | 36,000 |
| More than 500 | 68,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 |
Pipe bedding
You can use up to 510 tonnes of unbound IBAA as pipe bedding in any single construction project. This does not apply to anything that has been artificially divided.
Enforcement
An RPS means that the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you provided:
- your activity meets the description set out in this RPS
- you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS
- your activity does not, and is not likely to, cause environmental pollution or harm human health
Expiry date
This RPS expires on 31 January 2021. After this date you will need to check with the Environment Agency to see if you need to apply for a permit.
Contact the Environment Agency
General enquiries
National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY
Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Telephone 03708 506 506
Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.