Have you ever driven past a construction site and seen piles of broken-down concrete and materials that once stood tall? It’s not an uncommon sight, especially as infrastructure in the United States ages and deteriorates, calling for more construction and rehabilitation projects. Hiring the right people for these jobs is important, but so is cleaning up after.
Once the job is done, that pile of rubble has to go somewhere, and there is a lot of it. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that in 2015, 548 million tons of Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris was generated in the United States. C&D materials include construction products such as steel, wood, drywall, plaster, brick, and clay tile, among others. Concrete is one of the most common among them. And through concrete crushing or recycling, there is a way to handle all of these debris in an environmentally-friendly, safe, and efficient way. Here are three benefits of concrete crushing:
1. Crush Concrete, Save the Environment
Recycling goes far beyond putting that empty water bottle in the correct bin at home. In fact, job sites produce a lot of debris and waste that can be reused and repurposed. The Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) estimates that the rate of concrete recycling is about 82 percent. The process involves breaking, removing, and crushing existing concrete into a smaller material with a specified size and quality, known as crushed concrete or Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA).
The result has many different environmental benefits, one major advantage is reducing the total landfill space required for concrete waste. Others include soil stabilization, where RCA can be used to improve the load-bearing ability of a subgrade to benefit stability; pipe bedding, using crushed concrete to stabilize or firm up a foundation for underground utilities, and more. By reusing and recycling concrete materials, not only can you reduce waste, but there are safety benefits that these materials can bring to certain job sites as well.
2. Business Benefits of Reusing Construction Materials
If you are a business owner and want to save money while also being eco-friendly, concrete crushing might be just the thing you are looking for. For example, high-grade RCA for road construction is becoming less available at nearby distances, meaning construction companies are spending a lot to haul the materials to them. More crushed concrete can mean less transportation expenses, making it a win-win for both businesses and the environment.
3. Landscape in Style with Recycled Concrete
Recycled concrete can find its way back to the average consumer too, due to its ability to be used in landscaping and home-and-yard design projects. For example, crushed concrete can be used to build driveways, walkways, and walls outside of your house. These additions can add to your property while helping out the environment by recycling at the same time.
On top of that, crushed concrete is generally less expensive than most structural fillers, including new concrete. This is because the recycling process involves a combination of less processing fees, taxes, and more than lower the price in comparison to other materials.
Concrete Crushing Services Near You
Whether you own a road-construction company, recycling plant, or are just a homeowner looking to redesign in an eco-friendly way, 360 Industrial can help. At 360 Industrial, we have state-of-the-art concrete crushing equipment with the ability to produce any size RCA product. We’ll take all of your concrete waste, crush and size it – turning it into a product you can use for future projects. If you’re interested in our concrete crushing and demolition services, please contact us today for a quote or for any questions you may have. We’ll help you find what you’re looking for.
