How to Recycle Concrete
There are several ways concrete can be recycled. It does not matter whether the concrete has come from a construction site or an old road, it is possible to recycle and keep the waste from concrete out of our landfills. In many cases, breaking concrete may be easier and more cost effective than utilizing a cutting method. Also, the pieces that are broken off from breaking can be used for cool recycling projects.
The first step in recycling concrete is to test painted concrete for lead. Concrete that was painted using latex paint can be recycled. If the concrete was painted using a lead based paint, you should contact a testing lab to become familiar with the guidelines for testing and the costs involved. In order to collect a sample, you will have to scrape a piece of the concrete off using a sharp knife. The sample should be stored in a closed bag or sealed container. The lab will be able to tell you whether the concrete contains lead based paint. If the paint is lead based, it should be taken to a hazardous waste facility.
If the concrete has not been painted, you must make sure the concrete is free of of trash and debris. It should have a smooth appearance and flat on the bottom. Once the concrete has been collected it can be hauled to a recycling center or a construction recycling service. Construction recycling services often used recyled concrete product for as the base for gravel roads or as a dry aggregate for fresh concrete. If you are unable to haul the concrete yourself, there are recycling servcies that will be willing to haul for a fee.
Collecting concrete from a demolition site can save you money because it will save you the cost of trasnporting the concrete to a landfill. The charge could be as much as $.25 per ton or mile. You can also save on disposal costs which could end up costing $100 per ton. The landfill costs for demoliton continues to rise and there are increasing regulations on landfill operations which has resulted in more disposal sites opening up. This also has prompted contractors to incorporate recycling into their business operations in an effort to reduce their disposal costs.
The recycling of paved concrete is a fairly easy process and advances have in technology have made recycling an economical option for all types of concrete pavement. These technology include the development of equipment used to break concrete concrete pavement. There has also been the development of methods that are used to remove steel; this minimizes the need for hand labor. There are no current restrictions on the type of concrete pavement that are able to be recycled. Recycling concrete saves energy when compared to the process of mining and transporting new aggregates. Plus, recycling concrete is a way to keep a useful material out of our waste systems.
Peter Wendt is a writer and researcher living in Austin, Texas. He recommends you check out Round2.net and e-waste.