An Overview of Concrete Recycling in Toledo, OH

Whether you’re demolishing an old project, remodeling an existing property or building a new one, you’re going to have some leftover debris that you’ll have to get rid of when the job is done. You might not realize that a lot of the materials that come from your job site—including concrete—can be recycled and repurposed for other uses, but this is actually a thriving industry.

Recycling concrete as much as possible is always a good idea, because concrete waste disposal can be extremely difficult. But by recycling the concrete, you can keep it out of landfills (saving a significant amount of space), conserve natural resources by reducing the need for gravel mining, create more employment opportunities, lower the cost of other raw materials and save a whole lot of water.

Here is a brief overview of some of the most common purposes of concrete recycling in Toledo, OH:

• Concrete aggregate: Old concrete can be crushed down to be used as the dry aggregate for brand new concrete, so long as it’s free of contaminants. It’s common practice for municipalities to use recycled concrete aggregates for a wide variety of applications, including use in curbs, sidewalks, street bases and gutters.
• Roads: Smaller chunks of concrete can be used as the gravel for the base in new road construction projects. The sub-base gravel gets put down as the very bottom layer in a road, before the fresh concrete or asphalt is poured over the top of it. In addition, pre-existing concrete pavement can be broken right in place where it is and used as the base layer for brand new asphalt pavement. This is a process called rubblization, which is highly popular in areas that need to refinish or restore their roads but lack the resources or time to get entirely new concrete gravel for the sub-base.
• Riprap: Larger pieces of crushed concrete can be used for riprap revetments, which are extremely effective at controlling steam bank erosion along shorelines, ditch pipes and in various landscaping features. The material is frequently broken down to pieces that range from 10 to 18 inches long. It’s a favorite for erosion control specialists.
• Landscaping: Crushing facilities create some materials to be used as substitutes for landscaping stones or aggregate. There are some types of recycled concrete that can be used for garden walls, benches, raised garden beds, foundations for terraces, pathways, patios and rockeries. All of this concrete can be produced from concrete used in prior projects.
• Gabions: Wire gabions can be filled up with crushed concrete and then stacked up to provide some environmentally friendly and highly economical retaining walls. They can also be used to protect other structures and embankments, thanks to their density and weight.

For more information about the uses of recycled concrete and the various benefits associated with concrete recycling in Toledo, OH, we encourage you to contact the team at Klumm Bros. today with any questions you have. We look forward to working with you after your next job!

Categorised in: Recycling