A guide to concrete recycling

Recycled concrete is much more valuable than virgin materials. Along with eliminating the need to transfer new materials, it also reduces carbon emissions. This article looks at the benefits of using old materials by preventing the unnecessary build-up of waste.

What is concrete recycling?

The definition of concrete recycling When buildings that are constructed of concrete need to be torn down, concrete recycling is a way of getting rid of the rubble. Originally, concrete debris were shipped to landfills in order to dispose of it. However, recycling the material has various advantages that has especially made it a positive option in our environmentally-conscious lifestyles. It is a way to reduce construction costs. Concrete cement is collected from the sites where it is transferred to a crushing machine, along with bricks, rocks, asphalt, and dirt to become crushed concrete. Concrete crushing plants will only take concrete that is uncontaminated and which is free from paper, wood, rubbish and other materials. Metals are accepted as they can easily be removed with the help of magnets which are then melted down for recycling. Any remaining cement is then sorted depending on their size, with larger pieces going through the crusher again. The crushed cement is then employed for new building projects.

The benefits of concrete recycling

Unlike glass bottles and aluminum cans which can be recycled to make more glass bottles and aluminum cans, once concrete has been made from cement, it can't be reused to make more cement. There is no way in which to decompose it back to its original components of sand, cement, and water that went into creating the concrete. However, there are advantages to using recycled concrete. Recycled concrete is the ideal construction material as it is stronger than new concrete. This is a huge benefit as you are not only employing a stronger material source, but there is less waste being dumped at the landfill which in turn reduces the lasting damage impact on the environment. With the use of recycled material, there is less need for gravel mining as recycled concrete uses less energy. Furthermore, there is no need to transport new materials which in turn helps to reduce water and air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Another way in which to reduce costs and pollution is to employ a portable concrete crusher at the construction sites. The uses of recycled concrete Once the concrete has been crushed, the smaller pieces are used for new construction projects. Sub-base gravel is placed down as the foundation in a road with fresh asphalt or concrete poured over the top. Larger pieces of concrete such as riprap can be utilised to help with erosion control.