There are many different types of concrete. Basically, however, concrete consists of gravel, water and cement. What many people don’t know: Recycled concrete is generally just as high quality and sometimes even higher quality than conventional concrete. In addition to these quality benefits, recycled concrete scores highly in terms of sustainability and considerable cost savings. An additional plus point: if crushed concrete is reprocessed by type and mixed
with sand, water and cement, it generally has a higher load-bearing capacity than standard concrete. The potential of recycled concrete is often underestimated, particularly in developing countries, where the considerable savings potential is still largely unknown. With its machines, RUBBLE MASTER guarantees a maximum quality standard that ensures compliance with different, country-specific specifications.
APPLICATIONS MATERIAL OVERVIEW
Uses of recycled concrete
- in road and parking lot construction
- in building construction under floor slab
- Cementitious stabilized base courses
- Banket distributions
- agricultural and forestry road construction
- Kunette filling material drainage layer and backfill material in building construction
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Producing pure recycled concrete
In order to produce high-quality recycled concrete, it is essential to separate it by type beforehand. This means that impurities such as plastic or wood must be removed. Effective separation is achieved with the help of an windsifter. At RM, this is optionally integrated into the crusher. In addition, a magnetic separator removes ferrous impurities. The crusher crushes the concrete to the desired grain size. The result: a high-quality final grain, which can then be reused, for example, for road substructures,
house construction or as an aggregate in concrete production. A positive side effect is the enormous savings potential. Instead of disposing of old concrete in landfill sites at a cost and purchasing fresh concrete, the reuse of recycled concrete provides a simple and quick solution – with the same or even higher quality than standard concrete. This approach not only saves money, but also actively contributes to protecting the environment.
What to look out for
It is crucial to know which mineral base rock the concrete is made of, be it granite, gneiss or hard limestone. This information is relevant as the wear values of the crusher can change considerably due to incorrect settings.
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is a common building material that can be found in all buildings and can also be recycled and reused. It is particularly important to ensure that the reinforcing steel, i.e. the iron contained in the concrete, is not too long or too thick in order to prevent damage to the conveyor belts, blow bars and impact plates of the crusher and to avoid blockages. If the concrete blocks are too large, pre-crushing using a hammer or pulverizer, for example, is recommended.
Tips for crushing concrete – what to consider
Observe the maximum feed size and avoid blockages:
Always observe the maximum permissible feed size of the respective crushing unit. In practice, feed material that is too large is often thrown in, which leads to blockages and thus to time delays and loss of money.
Remove reinforcing bars before crushing
Long reinforcing rods or reinforcing bars are often hidden in pieces of concrete. These can destroy the crusher belt during the crushing process. To avoid damage to the belt, it is advisable to divide larger pieces of concrete into coarse pieces using a pulverizer.
FAQ’s
What do you need to look out for when recycling concrete?
Contaminants such as plastic etc. should not be contained in the concrete, but can be filtered out by an wind sifter during the recycling process. RUBBLE MASTER offers an optional wind sifter that is integrated directly into the crusher. Ferrous materials are removed by a magnetic separator integrated into the crusher.
How do I recycle concrete?
Depending on where the concrete was used, it must first be removed. For example, when demolishing a house, an excavator is needed. The impact crusher then prepares the concrete to the desired grain size.
What can I use recycled concrete for?
Recycled concrete is ideal for road substructures, house construction, pillars, etc. Basically, recycled concrete can be used in a variety of ways as long as it is homogeneous.
What does homogeneous mean?
Homogeneous means that the material does not contain any impurities such as plastic or wood. A homogeneous material is of higher quality.
What are the benefits of recycled concrete?
Reprocessed concrete generally has a higher load-bearing capacity than standard concrete. In addition, the reuse of existing materials saves costs and protects the environment.
Can standard concrete & recycled concrete be combined?
Yes, standard concrete and recycled concrete can also be used in combination, for example for certain construction projects, to achieve environmental and economic benefits.
How do I prepare the demolition material?
In Europe, the principle of selective dismantling is used. The demolition material is sorted into different containers depending on the type, for example wood into its own container, guttering into a separate container and plastic into its own skip. Precise pre-selection leads to a high-quality end product and increases profits. This approach is less common in other countries such as the USA.
How can I avoid blockages when breaking concrete?
- Pay attention to the maximum permissible feed size of your crusher and do not feed material that is too large.
- Avoid too long or thick reinforcing steel. Crush concrete blocks that are too large in advance using a hammer or pulverizer.
How do I avoid reinforcement bars in the crusher?
Divide large pieces of concrete before feeding them into the crusher using a pulverizer. This allows you to pre-crush iron that is too long and large, thus preventing belt damage and blockages.
JOB STORIES
Impact crusher improves grain quality in southern France
Processing recycling material independently, flexibly and regardless of the location whilst obtaining high-quality final aggregate as a result. This was the requirement of a French customer of RM sales partner I.M.H. With the RM 90GO! crusher, including wind sifter, acquired for the first time in February, this is now a reality.
Electrical recycling at the highest level
In March 2020, an electric RM 60E with an RM CS2500 post-screen was delivered to Manamah, Bahrain to recycle residues from concrete production. The customer is highly satisfied with his alternative to cost-intensive aggregate purchases and imports from the mainland.
Recycling of slag & concrete
Pioneering application in Argentina: For 4 years now, the customer of RM dealer COVEMA S.A.C.I.F. has been crushing concrete and slag with the RM 100GO! crusher in a highly efficient and environmentally friendly manner.
Sustainable use in the desert
In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Masdar City, the “first CO2-neutral science city”, which is to be completely supplied by renewable energies, has been under construction since 2008. The RM Group has been involved in this mega-project from the very beginning. Now Masdar City Services has once again invested in the mobile crushers
Proved successful:
RM 70GO! 2.0 for GSL
Groundwork Solutions Limited have updated their operations with an RM 70GO! 2.0 for crushing construction and demolition concrete. After a successful trial period, they purchased the RUBBLE MASTER impact crusher because of its compactness and great performance.
Recycling concrete in the inner city
In China’s capital city there are strict environmental regulations that not every crusher can easily fulfil. At the same time crushing takes place in the tightest space, which is why the size and manoeuvrability of the machine is decisive. For Mr. Fan it was soon clear that only the RM 90GO! could make
New line of business: concrete crushing
Schouten Excavating is the best example of hard work paying off: The Canadian business began by tackling general excavation, property line clearing and some farm demolition with a single excavator. Today, they own an RM 100GO! and are very successful in demolition and concrete processing.
Mobile crusher at Salzburg Airport
8,500 tons of material were crushed on site at Salzburg Airport by the compact crusher. The RM 100GO! recycled the concrete from the demolished runway into a value aggregate, which was reused on site to build a new runway. The crusher enabled a sustainable, regional cycle of resources.
New line of business with the RM 60
In 2010 a severe winter destroyed the beach promenade in Haifa. G. Ream Construction Ltd. was commissioned with the refurbishment and came into contact with RUBBLE MASTER and on-site recycling for the first time. The result was an amphitheatre and a new line of business for Dubi Hyams.
Effortless compliance with strict environmental laws
The RM 120GO! effortlessly meets the strict environmental regulations in China. The unique drive system and dust suppression system ensure the lowest emissions and noise. Moreover, thanks to the RM wind sifter, the quality of the final aggregate has been improved even further.
Comprehensive sustainability with RM 120GO!
The RM 120GO! effortlessly undercuts the strictest environmental regulations in Basel. The figures are impressive: 90 % of the processed material is used again. That saves 40 % of truck journeys. Its low diesel consumption also impressed the customer.
"RUBBLE MASTER has changed my business"
Alfred Lauzon founded Northern Paving in 1964 and entered the recycling business four years ago. He shares RUBBLE MASTER’s strong focus on quality, which was one of the reasons for purchasing the RM 80GO!. He now has companies from all over south west Ontario as customers.
RM 100GO! in the middle of the action
The mobile RM 100GO! impact crusher is currently processing 40,000 m³ of steel-reinforced concrete. The material will then be reused in the construction of what will be the tallest building in Israel. The impressive throughput performance in combination with the compact design were the main reasons for the RM crusher.
RUBBLE MASTER crusher in action in Argentina
The RM 70GO! handles its first concrete crushing job in Argentina in impressive style. The RM 70GO! was the first crusher for the customer, who was enthusiastic from the outset. Not only the simple handling but also the transportability and usability in the middle of the city centre were convincing arguments.
The RM 90GO! stands out through efficiency and intuitive operation
Harald Zehetner was not actually planning to trade in his existing crusher for a new one until the following year. After a demonstration of the RM 90GO!, however, he was so enthusiastic that Zehetner Transporte – Erdbau GmbH were soon the proud owners of a new RM impact crusher.
Arabian temperatures - heat of the desert
It needs to be a very special machine if it is not going to overheat in this heat: the RM 70GO! not only manages that easily, it also manages to process large concrete blocks. With the high performance components of the OS70GO! oversize grain separator and the TS3600 high performance screen, waste material
Fast reconstruction following natural disasters
Hurricane Irene left a trail of damage through the United States in August 2011. This called for crushers that are able to process the widest range of materials to clear mineral materials such as riverbed gravel, concrete and asphalt. The advantages of the RM 70GO! and the RM 80 were unbeatable.
Dust and heat: challenging conditions for extraordinary machines
The environmentally friendly RM crushers are the ideal partners for a showcase project like this: the world’s first zero-carbon city is currently under construction in Abu Dhabi. 100,000 m³ of material are processed by the RM 80GO!. The crusher didn’t even need to be modified to meet the strict construction site conditions.
Impact crushers instead of jaw crushers
Higher performance and better quality in recycling production waste is no illusion. A concrete manufacturer replaced their jaw crusher with an RM 60 in combination with an RM VS60 prescreen and RM CS2500 post screen. In addition to higher quality, they brought the company enormous cost savings.
Concrete is a high-quality and strong building material. This makes it one of the most important recycled raw materials.