SUCCESS · Project

Cut Construction Delivery Costs and Emissions with Shared Urban Consolidation Centres

constructionTestedTRL 5

Imagine every construction site in a city getting its own separate truck deliveries — cement from one supplier, steel from another, tiles from a third — all clogging the same narrow streets. This project figured out how to set up shared logistics hubs on the outskirts of cities where all those materials get sorted and bundled, then sent to construction sites in fewer, fuller trucks. They tested this idea across four European countries, mapping out the costs and environmental benefits, and designed business models so everyone in the supply chain actually saves money. Think of it like a shared mailroom for an entire neighbourhood of construction sites.

By the numbers

40%

Share of total transport emissions from freight transport

32%

Share of freight emissions occurring in urban areas

Previous construction-specific consolidation centre pilots referenced

Consortium partners

Countries involved (ES, FR, IT, LU)

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Urban construction projects generate massive freight traffic — trucks delivering cement, steel, and materials clog city streets, contributing to 40% of total transport emissions. Each construction site manages its own deliveries independently, leading to half-empty trucks, scheduling conflicts, and wasted time for construction crews. Previous consolidation centre experiments showed promise but their economic viability and transferability to different European cities remained unproven.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered 23 outputs including optimized consolidation centre scenario designs for pilot sites, covering supply chain network configurations, logistics flow maps, contractual agreement templates, regulatory intervention models, and economic impact analyses. The core demo deliverable defined six optimized scenarios per pilot site with organization models and savings distribution plans.

Audience

Who needs this

Large construction companies managing multiple urban projects simultaneouslyThird-party logistics providers looking to enter construction material deliveryCity authorities planning major urban redevelopment zonesReal estate developers building in congested city centresConstruction material suppliers seeking more efficient urban delivery routes

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Construction & Real Estate Development

enterprise

Target: Large construction firms managing multiple urban building projects

If you are a construction company running several projects in the same city and struggling with delivery congestion, missed time slots, and idle crews waiting for materials — this project developed optimized consolidation centre scenarios that reduce transportation impacts and improve construction site productivity. The approach maps your logistics flows and proposes supply chain network designs tailored to your operations.

Urban Logistics & Freight

mid-size

Target: Third-party logistics providers serving urban construction

If you are a logistics operator looking to expand into construction material delivery and want a proven service model — this project designed contractual agreements and business models for operating construction consolidation centres. The results include economic impact analyses and partnership models based on savings distribution among supply chain actors.

City Planning & Municipal Government

enterprise

Target: City authorities managing urban development zones

If you are a city authority dealing with construction traffic that causes 40% of total freight transport emissions and want to reduce congestion and air pollution during major urban redevelopment — this project delivered regulatory intervention designs and organization models for construction consolidation centres across France, Spain, Italy, and Luxembourg.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to set up a construction consolidation centre?

The project did not publish specific capital or operating cost figures. However, one of the core deliverables is an economic impact analysis for each pilot site, including cost optimization simulations and savings distribution models. Based on available project data, the business case depends on regulatory incentives and city investment contributions.

Can this scale beyond the pilot cities to other European markets?

The project was specifically designed to address transferability limitations identified in earlier pilots in Stockholm, Utrecht, Berlin, and London. It tested scenarios across 4 countries (France, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg) with different regulatory and infrastructure contexts. The deliverables include transferability requirements for different urban settings.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license the models?

As a publicly funded RIA project coordinated by Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, the results are likely accessible through the project consortium. The 23 deliverables include supply chain optimization models and business model designs. Contact the coordinator for licensing or collaboration terms.

What environmental benefits were demonstrated?

The project objective states that freight transport represents 40% of total transport emission and 32% in urban areas specifically. Previous pilot studies demonstrated reduced transportation impacts. The SUCCESS project simulated environmental impact reductions for each of its pilot site scenarios.

How long does it take to implement a construction consolidation centre?

Based on available project data, the implementation timeline was not specified as a fixed duration. The project ran for 3 years (2015-2018) and followed three main steps: analysing current supply chain issues, proposing optimization scenarios, and simulating costs and environmental impacts. Actual deployment timelines would depend on local regulatory and infrastructure conditions.

Does this integrate with existing construction project management systems?

The project focused on supply chain network design, logistics flow mapping, and contractual agreements rather than software integration. The consolidation centre concept works as a physical and organizational layer that sits between suppliers and construction sites, so it would complement rather than replace existing project management tools.

What kind of support is available for companies wanting to adopt this?

The consortium includes 11 partners with 3 industry players and 3 research organizations across 4 countries. The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology coordinated the work. The project website at success-urbanlogistics.eu may provide access to results and contact information for collaboration.

Consortium

Who built it

The SUCCESS consortium brings together 11 partners from 4 countries (Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg), led by the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology. With 3 industry partners (27% industry ratio) and only 1 SME, the consortium is weighted toward research (3 research organizations) and institutional actors (4 classified as "other," likely city authorities or public bodies). This composition reflects the project's focus on urban policy and logistics planning rather than commercial product development. For a business looking to adopt these results, the research-heavy consortium means strong analytical foundations but you would likely need to bring your own operational and commercial expertise to deploy a consolidation centre.

LUXEMBOURG INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYCoordinator · LU
FUNDACION DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA PARA LA PROMOCION ESTRATEGICA EL DESARROLLO Y LA INNOVACION URBANAparticipant · ES
ASSOCIATION POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT DE LA FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE DANSLES TRANSPORTSparticipant · FR
REGIONE EMILIA ROMAGNAparticipant · IT
C.M.B. SOCIETA COOPERATIVA MURATORIE BRACCIANTI DI CARPIparticipant · IT
FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO SUI TRASPORTI E LA LOGISTICAparticipant · IT
FUNDACION DE LA COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA PARA LA INVESTIGACION, PROMOCION Y ESTUDIOS COMERCIALES DE VALENCIAPORTparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) — search for SUCCESS project construction logistics contacts at LIST

Order a report on this consortium See LUXEMBOURG INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the SUCCESS team about deploying construction consolidation centres in your city or project? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the research coordinators.

Order a report on this topic More in construction