For many decades, the construction industry has regarded concrete as one-and-done construction material, something that needs to be disposed of entirely once its purpose has been served to satisfaction. Fortunately, all thanks to advancements in technology, concrete no longer has to spend decades in the landfill. Businesses, as well as the average construction company, could benefit from concrete recycling in numerous ways.
The Recycling Process
All thanks to the excellent efficiency of the entire concrete removal process, the recycles aggregate tends to be of high quality. And many people often question the possibility of all that. The truth is that it can be achieved when you start right from scratch.
Aggregates of different sizes will be fed through a machine which is designed to minimize the payload to a smaller scale, that is, the larger chunks are crushed into smaller pieces. After that, the pieces of crushed concrete are then fed through another machine to get rid of light debris like wood. What you will get from this machine is some high-quality concrete.
The recycled concrete aggregate can be used in diverse ways, including being repurposed for construction, landscaping projects, and home improvement. It has also been found that although it is obtained from concrete scrap, recycled concrete aggregate is safe and durable like its natural aggregates.
The Importance of Concrete Recycling
1. Forget About the Tipping Fees
Tipping fees are usually collected once you take your items to the disposal centre and the prices are typically based on the volume or/and weight if your item. So, when you decide to recycle concrete, you will no longer have to worry about incurring extra tipping fees when you need to dispose of your construction materials at the waste treatment facility or landfill. This means that you will end up saving on construction costs.
2. Reduced Freight Charges
If you are a construction company or contracting business, then you are probably aware that obtaining high-quality aggregate could mean that you will have to pay a freight company a considerable amount of money just to get the aggregate to your construction site. While it is always good to consider the high-quality option, the truth is that you could end up spending a lot on a service that you might not need. And in most cases, the recycled concrete aggregate options are usually nearby so you will eventually pay little regarding freight charges.
3. Recycled Concrete is Usually Cheaper
By far and large, recycled concrete has been found to be a cheaper option when compared to the freshly-minted aggregate. Since it usually involves crushing concrete that was previously made, you will end up saving on material costs without having to compromise on quality.
4. Environmental Friendly
Another importance of using recycled concrete is that it is an eco-friendly construction material. The process of harvesting stones and later crushing them down needs natural resources as well as mechanical processing. When you recycle the unwanted concrete, you are essentially giving new life to the aggregate in a manner that involves minimal processing and leaves other natural materials untouched. Additionally, very little space is usually taken up by the non-biodegradable concrete in the landfills.
What Can the Recycled Concrete Be Used For?
Recycled Concrete Aggregate has proven to be an invaluable material and is currently being used in a wide range of applications. Some of the purposes recycled concrete is used for include:
Aggregate base course
This is arguably the most extensive application of recycled concrete, and it is usually used in the underlying layers which form the structural foundation for paving as well as the foundation for roadway pavements.
Soil stabilization
This usually involves the incorporation as well as blending of the recycled concrete aggregates into the marginal quality subgrade materials in order to enhance the load bearing capacity of the subgrade, hence bringing stability where soil stability is a problem.
Pipe bedding
Recycled concrete aggregates can also be used as a firm foundation or stable bed for the laying of underground utilities in addition to granular trend backfill.
Ready-mix concrete
This is usually a mix of water, sand, and cement. While this market is still in its young stages, some recyclers are currently trying to implement this re-use strategy. Moreover, recycled concrete could be used in new asphalt as a replacement for the virgin aggregate.
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