Recycled glass and crushed concrete are the most effective materials for use in concrete. They offer strength, durability, and workability. The materials must be prepared by crushing and washing before being added to the concrete mix. Recycled concrete offers the same strength and durability as new materials. Crushed glass is suitable for non-structural design requirements.
The two most common forms of recycled aggregate used in concrete are glass and crushed concrete from previous applications. While other materials such as fiberglass and granulated coal ash have been experimented with, these two products appear to be the most effective recycled material for use in concrete. Some of the criteria that must be met are the ability of the recycled aggregate to provide strength and durability to the finished concrete product, as well as offer comparative workability to those mixes that do not contain recycled materials. The previously used crushed glass and concrete are also being used for their superior hardness properties, as well as their resistance to the absorption of chemicals and compounds commonly found in other materials such as clay and limestone.
The recycled glass-concrete aggregate must first be prepared for use in new concrete applications. The materials are usually placed in a rock crusher set to a specific crushing size to produce the correct size filler for the concrete. It is then passed through a washer of aggregate to remove any debris, dirt or impurities that may be hindering the material’s ability to adhere to the other concrete components. After careful screening, the recycled concrete materials are ready to be added to the concrete mix for use.
Many of the other materials that have been tested for use in concrete products have been found to be unstable for this application. Adequate recycled aggregate material must be suitable for the intended purpose of the concrete. In most building and load-bearing applications, it is common to find concrete containing recycled cement particles, as opposed to crushed glass. Recycled concrete aggregate offers the same level of strength and durability as products created from all new materials. It is also resistant to contamination from other common chemicals and substances found in and around construction sites.
The use of crushed glass is often used in concrete applications where the finished product will not have to withstand large amounts of weight and pressure. The glass materials most frequently used for concrete are those that cannot be recycled in more traditional ways, including light bulbs and glass bottles marked as non-recyclable. To prepare it for use in concrete, glass is finely ground and added to the concrete mix in place of sand. This concrete is therefore suitable for applications such as walkways and cycleways, as well as any non-structural design requirements.
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