The move continues its steady expansion from its traditional role as a construction and engineering company to a full solutions provider.

Costain’s Geotechnical Services Division has been upping its skill base over the last six months handling waste from its own brownfield contracts.

Now with increasingly stiff penalties being levied on organisations that incorrectly dispose of waste materials, the contractor has decided to offer a commercially available service.

Senior Geotechnical Engineer, James Dodd, said: “Initially we would check the source of the material and site history and apply the correct European Waste Code.”

When the correct European Waste Code has been applied the material can often be classified as non-hazardous or hazardous with no further action being taken.

But Dodd added: “There are certain sources of material known as ‘mirror entries’ that can be either hazardous or non-hazardous, depending on the concentration of dangerous substances they contain.

“We get laboratory testing carried out and check it against the relevant thresholds to determine if it’s hazardous or non-hazardous.”

GSD undertakes site investigation work, taking samples for analysis to determine the levels of contamination.