There’s nothing like the strength and durability of concrete for building projects. But what happens to concrete once those projects are completed? One key question to consider is if concrete can be recycled.
While concrete roads and house footers, for example, may not be worth recycling, other materials used in their construction may be. You’ll want to consider all the factors involved before determining what to do with your concrete waste.
Let’s get an overview of your options on how to recycle concrete.
How Concrete Is Recycled
Concrete recycling is a process that involves breaking down old concrete structures and then turning them into new materials or structures. The process often begins by crushing and sorting the concrete, removing contaminants such as glass, steel, and wood.
Next, the concrete is put through an air separation process, where any oversized rocks are removed. After that, the concrete is further broken down using a hammer mill or impact crusher to produce small, reusable concrete particles.
Finally, these particles can be used in a variety of ways, such as to create recycled concrete aggregate for roadways or to replace aged concrete when constructing new buildings or projects.
Benefits of Concrete Recycling
Concrete recycling has several benefits to both the environment and consumers. Firstly, it reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, thus helping the environment. Recycling concrete also reduces air and water pollution.
Furthermore, using recycled concrete reduces the amount of natural resources needed for new construction projects. This in turn can lower the production costs of new construction projects, meaning consumers benefit from decreased building costs.
In addition, recycling concrete uses significantly less energy than making new concrete from scratch. Finally, recycling concrete can create jobs, particularly in the concrete production industry.
Equipment Used to Recycle Concrete
The equipment used to recycle concrete depends largely on how large the scale of the project is. For small-scale, residential applications, a hammer mill crusher powered by a diesel engine can be used to reduce the size of concrete blocks and then a manual crusher can separate out the metal reinforcement.
On largescale projects, such as a bridge demolition, mobile demolition processors with concrete shears and attachments can effectively process the material. It is then transported to a plant that will tune, sort, and crush the concrete into usable aggregate for reuse in new construction projects.
Uses for Old Concrete
Old concrete can be repurposed in many ways. It can be used to create garden paths around a house. It can be broken down and used to fill in low spots in a yard. It can even be used to create garden beds for growing plants.
Old concrete can also be used to create a patio or sidewalk. It is strong and durable and can last for many years. It can also be used to create retaining walls for holding back soil against slopes and caused by erosion.
Old concrete can even be used as decorative pieces in a yard, such as garden planters and other pieces. With some creativity, old concrete can be repurposed into something stylish and attractive.
Learn How to Recycle Concrete
To recycle concrete has an incredible amount of potential-lower costs, reduced waste, and resource conservation-making it an excellent choice for reusing construction materials.
To get started, contact a reputable recycling facility or a concrete provider today and find out how to get involved in concrete recycling.
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