Many demolition contractors utilize recycling techniques to reuse parts of structures, and crushed concrete is one of the most repurposed materials. Essentially, crushed concrete isn’t just a waste product from demolition, but a highly useful building product, perfect for building a range of concrete products, as well as for use as an aggregate.
Eco-Friendly Demolition
Being environmentally friendly has never been more important, and recycling and repurposing materials is vital in modern demolition. Avoiding landfill is the name of the game, and techniques like crushing and reusing concrete are a big step in the right direction. That’s why we’ve put together five major uses for crushed concrete, but this list is by no means exhaustive. There’s a huge range of different uses for crushed concrete in the building and landscaping industries, but here are some common ones.
Pavement
Crushed concrete can be processed into several products and materials perfect for building pavement. Once again thanks to concrete’s naturally hardwearing nature, we’re able to utilize recycled concrete to create driveways, pavement, sidewalks and patios. It also helps that crushed concrete is an affordable building material.
Another benefit of using crushed concrete like this is that it can be used to encourage drainage when used as the base for new roads and driveways, as well as being useful for lining ditches and culverts. It’s much more eco-friendly than concrete piping and other typical drainage materials.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are useful for supporting soil laterally, making them an essential part of construction and landscapes, and crushed concrete is often utilized in creating them. The stable, corrosion-resistant nature of concrete allows it to resist corrosion and last a long time.
Crushed concrete may be utilized as a drainage material. It is often used as a base for new roads or driveways and can also be used to line ditches and culverts. This material is much more eco-friendly than concrete pipes or other drainage materials.
Asphalt Paving
Crushed concrete is perfect as an aggregate in new asphalt and is commonly used as a base or subbase. Once again, crushed concrete’s compaction and drainage properties make it a perfect choice when building asphalt paving. The fact it’s an affordable building material once again makes it a great option.
Landscaping and Raised Garden Beds
When building raised garden beds, there’s a couple of different factors that are vital. Is the material going to rot or decay? Is it affordable to use in large quantities? Will it encourage drainage avoiding beds becoming boggy? Crushed concrete is perfect for this purpose, enabling landscapers to shape the garden beds perfectly.
Erosion Control and Prevention
Erosion can be a major problem in certain areas and utilizing the right materials to mitigate and control the problem is vital. Crushed concrete can be used to control soil erosion by using it as a base for new roads and driveways, as well as lining ditches and culverts. As it’s an affordable, recycled and eco-friendly option, it makes for a perfect choice when countering soil erosion.