Recycled Concrete Advantage
Recycling and a green planet are being promoted worldwide and it is a message that is being experienced in many and different aspects of our lifestyles. Whether it’s impacted on us with recycled paper towels, the paper cups containing our fast cup of coffee, or the plastic bottles that pack the shelves of supermarkets, we are trying to make planet Earth a healthier environment. However, how are we dealing with the question of concrete recycling in Sacramento and the building materials that are wasted every day?
In many instances, houses are constructed from different recycled wood commodities and when a building is demolished or renovated, the steel waste is reused. This is added to by reinforcing for new concrete structures being catered for with unused rail tracks. As far as concrete recycling in Sacramento is concerned, like most cities in the world, most research into reducing the environmental impacts of concrete has been directed towards combining cement with industrial by-products. These include for example; ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash and silica fume.
In addition, there is some impetus towards conservation of natural aggregates, which can provide about 50% volume of a concrete mix. Until relatively recently, like most of the USA concrete recycling in Sacramento in the form of form of aggregate has taken place generally in applications such as sidewalks, bulk fills, among a few others. This is despite the quality of the recycled material being frequently of a higher grade than specified for these applications.
It cannot be denied that old concrete recycling in Sacramento into materials that are suitable for structural applications does entail some additional costs. However, all factors must be taken into account, including the cost-effectiveness and sustainability in comparison to the mining processes and transportation costs of new, natural aggregates.