Concrete Recycling

Basics

• Concrete is one of the most commonly used materials
• HOWEVER it is largely made using newly mined materials, which is not only Unsustainable, but also presses challenges to a Circular Economy / Sourcing Materials
• This page aims to cover the Status Quo, the State of the Art (in terms of lower TRL Research / Pilot Plants etc and outline areas OSE could pursue Development / Further Research

Internal Links

• Concrete
  • Asphalt Concrete / Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (Can largely be milled up, remelted, and recycled in place, due to the Asphalt essentially being a Thermoplastic
  • Asphalt Millings can be downcycled as a Construction Aggregate or Gravel Road material, albeit with some Micro/Nano Plastics (for the latter) + Hydrocarbon Leaching concerns for both
• Portland Cement / Fly Ash Cement based Concrete
  • • More common/conventional Concrete, however more complex to recycle, short of downcycling to aggregate
• Rebar
  • Steel Rebar should be easily separated via Electromagnetic Separation
  • Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebar / Fiberglass Rebar / Carbon Fiber Rebar present some challenges in terms of M/NP Pollution, as well as difficulties in separation
    • Thermal Recycling such as in a Calcining step may suffice
• Concrete Aggregate / Sand
  • For information on Aggregate Parameters