FCC Construcción has developed SAMCEW© (Sustainability Assessment Method for Civil Engineering Works), an internal method to assess the sustainability of our civil engineering works (and area of influence).

SAMCEW© is a self-assessment and grading system that can be used on works as an internal management programme to plan construction works, identify required improvements and share progress in applied sustainability practices.

The method considers environmental, social and economical aspects of the sustainability model at each stage of the life cycle of the civil works.

We have designed a flexible and customisable assessment method that can be applied to different types of civil engineering works with different characteristics and in different locations.

SAMCEW© sets out the following 15 categories:

Each category entails a number of issues which aim to measure the impact of civil engineering works on three sustainability aspects. Therefore, the issues involve concepts that users have to assess by answering related questions. Projects obtain points in each category according to the answers given.

A new feature of the SAMCEW© is that the importance of each category is customised according to the characteristics of each project. As such, to establish a weighting system for the project categories, an initial questionnaire needs to be completed, which contemplates aspects such as the type of civil engineering works assessed, the location, and the natural and social environment of such works, as well as the stages to be assessed.

We believe it is possible to optimise the sustainability of infrastructures using knowledge of the current situation, an aspect in which assessment tools such as SAMCEW© play a key role. This is our responsible way of understanding the construction business, incorporating the sustainable development of the societies in which we operate into our projects and strategies, generating value for our groups of interest, the local communities with which we interact and, in particular, for future generations.

This new system is based on the work carried out by international civil engineers from work groups, which were led by FCC Construcción, relating to the "Sustainability in civil engineering works" of ISO and CEN. It is also based on the experience regarding the Management and Sustainability System implemented in our works and the assessment sustainability methods of current and internationally recognised infrastructures.