Responsibility

HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions looks at projects from the perspective of their entire life cycle. We design living spaces and are aware that we consequently shape the surroundings of our projects and the environment for a long time.

We face up to this responsibility and wish to actively intensify the sustainability of our projects. This philosophy is firmly anchored in our “PPP Goes Green” vision.“

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Sustainability

Sustainability is one of the five principles followed by HOCHTIEF. We are consequently always looking for integrated solutions which not only involve economic but also ecological and social aspects.

A highway that connects: green bridges on the A7

With the A7 highway from Hamburg to the highway junction Bordesholm in Schleswig-Holstein, HOCHTIEF has expanded one of Germany’s most important traffic arteries. This not only provides enormous benefits for motorists but also for nearby residents, because the traffic now flows through noise barrier tunnels. HOCHTIEF Infrastructure took over the construction together with other partners.

Parks and small gardens are being built on top of the noise barriers. Thanks to the project, districts which were up to now separated by the highway are being brought together. Two green bridges are also planned and have partly already been built (see photo). Amongst other things, these enable deer to safely cross the highway.

Modern and efficient: Riot Police, Hesse, Mühlheim am Main/Kassel, Germany

Together with HOCHTIEF Infrastructure, the business unit Social Infrastructure Europe from HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions has acquired two police properties with more than 50 buildings from the State of Hesse and will refurbish and modernize them within a period of five years and operate and lease them to the State of Hesse for a total of 30 years. In addition to the riot police departments in Mühlheim am Main and Kassel, the contract includes Hesse Police Academy and Hesse School for Police and Administration.

True to the sustainable approach of looking at and looking after structures during their entire life cycle, the prime focus of the modernization is on improving energy efficiency and energy-efficient new buildings as well as retrofitting measures, in order to increase the user value of the building. All work is taking place during ongoing service and teaching operations. The project pursues the targets of state of Hesse’s CO2 reduction and energy efficiency program (COME) With its forward-looking orientation regarding energy efficiency this project is also in keeping with the sustainability strategy of HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions and its vision “HOCHTIEF PPP goes green”.

For instance, construction work is currently being carried out on a new administration building at the Kassel location. On a gross surface area of approximately 4,000 square meters, in addition to offices and conference rooms for the managerial task force of the IV riot police department it will also accommodate lecture rooms and the library of the University of Applied Sciences for Police and Administration. Through connecting buildings the complex is joined to two existing buildings which were built in 1940 and whose energy efficiency is being completely improved.

The so-called U-values of the facade, which indicate the thermal transmittance coefficient, are almost 40 percent below the values stipulated by the Buildings Energy Act (GEG), which applies since November 1, 2020. The electricity consumption of the building is to a great extent powered by a photovoltaic system on the roof. The complete lighting is LED, which is controlled in the traffic areas and sanitary areas by movement detectors. The building has modern air conditioning systems with high heat recovery rates through closed-loop circulation systems and plate heat exchangers. The heat supply is provided via long-distance heating and highly-efficient air-water heat pumps.

The company has also already been able to refurbish numerous buildings and optimize their energy efficiency at both locations. For instance, at the Mühlheim am Main location the work on numerous garages, a training building, the sports hall and a team building have already been successfully completed. A new police station is currently being built there. During the same period of time, at the Kassel location, in addition to the above-mentioned building, numerous garages, an operational training center and a multi-purpose building have been functionally modernized, with improved energy efficiency, and punctually handed over to the client. Completion of all work is currently planned by the beginning of 2025.

For more sustainability: LED lighting for SAAone project A1/A6 highways

Motorists using highways in the Netherlands have certainly noticed it when they drive along the A1 or A6 highways around the Muiderberg intersection: The lights are crystal clear and the view is high-contrast and pleasant for the eye.

The reason for this: In recent months our SAAone team has replaced the conventional lighting on the highway section with modern LEDs—altogether more than 2,000 units. The LED not only provides a pleasant view for road users, but also has a longer service life and is more reliable than conventional lighting.

The life cycle approach under the PPP contracts provides an excellent opportunity to carry out improvements. "Naturally the implementation of LED lighting is currently a considerable investment for us, but because of the long term of the contract we have ample opportunity to recover this investment through lower maintenance and energy costs. The LED lighting is also very reliable. We scarcely need to worry about light failures, whereas we sometimes suffered from failures with conventional lights. The fact that we are also investing in sustainability thanks to the lower energy consumption makes LED an absolute win-win situation," explain Edith van der Wal and Jeroen van Rijn von SAAone. The client Rijkswaterstaat is also satisfied with the execution, since the new lighting was installed with virtually no restriction for motorists.

An excellent example of how we have specifically implemented our operational company knowhow of sustainability on site.

Further information: https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/nieuws/2021/01/rijkswaterstaat-en-saaone-gaan-samen-voor-duurzaamheid-ledverlichting-op-de-a1-a6.aspx

More space for sustainability in Rodenkirchen

A little more than ten years ago, HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions rebuilt the comprehensive school in the Rodenkirchen district of Cologne. Now it is being expanded with a new building and a new gymnasium while the school continues to operate. Construction is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2021, with the new buildings due for completion in the second quarter of 2023. Today, as then, the focus is on sustainable aspects:

For example, the extension building is being constructed in a climate-friendly passive design and will have 26-centimeter-thick insulation and triple-glazed windows. A comprehensive ventilation system with heat recovery and individual room control for heating and ventilation further contribute to environmentally friendly air conditioning. A photovoltaic system generates approximately 20,000 KWh of electricity per year.

During the construction and operation of the comprehensive school, various measures have already been implemented to reduce CO2 emissions. The building is characterized by its environmentally friendly energy supply. The entire roof area is used for a photovoltaic system. The students also have access to around 500 bicycle parking spaces, more than a third of which are covered and located directly on the main building. The photovoltaic system and excellent thermal insulation ensure that CO2 emissions are significantly reduced.

In October 2007, HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions was awarded the contract for the PPP project by the City of Cologne and financed and realized the design of the educational building that emerged from an architectural competition. The new building was completed on schedule at the end of 2009 and handed over to the city and the school community. Since then, HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions has been operating the school for 25 years.

Distinguished commitment in Greece: Aegean Motorway SA receives CSR Award

For their services and commitment with regard to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Aegean Motorway SA, the concession company of the Greek HOCHTIEF-PPP-Solutions traffic project “Maliakos-Kleidi Motorway”, has now received an important tribute. The Corporate Responsibility Institute presented the company with the Bronze Award for their responsible corporate practices on the basis of the CR index.

In 2019 the company reduced gas emissions by 10 percent, total energy consumption by 11 percent, water consumption by 21 percent and waste production by 44 percent.

Before this Aegean Motorway had already received four Gold Awards in the Energy Mastering Awards for the high standards of their environmental management activities and good practices, which they implemented in the areas energy efficiency, resource conservation and sustainability.

Three of the Gold Awards were received for transport infrastructures, energy innovation and leadership, whilst the fourth award "Top of the year" was achieved in the category "Efficiency Initiative Stewardship".

The company presented details of their comprehensive CSR performances in the recently published CSR report for 2019. The report was drawn up in agreement with the Standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and complies with the United Nations’ targets for sustainable development (SDGs).

Corporate citizenship

Throughout the world HOCHTIEF shapes areas as living spaces and hence closely interacts with the people with whom and for whom we work. In all places where we work work we also assume social responsibility.

We use financial resources, commodity contributions, know-how and personal commitment to put this aspiration into practice.

In doing so we concentrate our donations and sponsoring activities on two prime issues which particularly relate to the company and our operating activities and which have an impact on sustainability: 1. Education and Promotion of Young Employees and 2. Design and Maintenance of Living Space.

BIM-Award–Virtual Academy A6

HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions donates the award annually as part of the Virtual Academy A6. Following the successful events in 2018 to 2022, HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions GmbH, in cooperation with JOHANN BUNTE Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co. KG and the Dutch Infrastructure Fund (DIF), the company will award another prize for work in the field of BIM in 2023. The patron of the sixth BIM Award is Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport in Baden-Württemberg, for the fifth time.

Jury
The jury, made up of selected representatives from science and industry, invites potential award winners to a workshop based on submitted exposés. There, the students have the opportunity to present their work to a selected audience of experts and the jury members. The final theses and student research projects submitted are evaluated on the basis of the exposés and presentations.

The jury, which decides on the winners, consists of Prof. Dr. Herrmann Hütter (Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences) and Professor Dr. Steffen Feirabend (Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences) as well as Alexander Hofmann (HOCHTIEF/HBC).

Virtual Academy A6
Professors from the universities of Biberach, Karlsruhe and Constance, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences and the University of Stuttgart as well as the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Mosbach are participating in the A6 Virtual Academy, which was initiated as part of the project "Availability model for the A6 motorway at Wiesloch/Rauenberg - Weinsberg interchange".

The aim is to promote the exchange between research and teaching at the universities and the working practice of companies in the construction industry. Activities such as excursions, project work, internships or student theses as well as public discussion rounds in and around the PPP project are coordinated and organized via the academy's network.

Information can be found at www.via6west.de/akademie-a6 (German only)

"Building the future" at the school laboratory in Recklinghausen

In order to promote professional and study orientation particularly for professions in the construction industry, HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions is supporting Recklinghäuser Hittorf-Gymnasium (high school) in MINT training—Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences and Technology.

In 2018 the company donated work materials and measuring equipment for the school laboratory “Building the Future”.

“We are delighted to be able to support the first step in the successful work of the school laboratory by handing over the equipment. Awakening young people’s enthusiasm for the topics of the construction industry is an important part of encouraging our up-and-coming talent”, noted Dr. Joachim von Lukowicz, member of the Management Board at Transport Infrastructure Europe of HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions.