ABE takes a look at a performance approach to improve recycling of concrete

Recreating premium products

Recycled aggregates often end up in low-end materials but a recent investigation shows that it is possible to reuse them to produce premium products. Claire Symes takes a look at the performance related approach

Complex environmental issues often mean that gaining planning permission to extract virgin aggregates in Europe is a challenging task. But recycled aggregates could offer the opportunity to bridge the gap between available aggregates reserves and the demands of the construction sector.
In an ideal world recycled materials should be suitable for almost any application. However, certain barriers exist which prevent this and often results in such materials being reused in low-grade materials. The UK's Waste & Resource Action Programme (WRAP) has recently published the results of an investigation which could clear the way for use of recycled aggregates in premium products.
..