Construction and Demolition Recycling
Construction and demolition (C&D) is a process that all civil engineers have to plan for. A major part of this process is the generation of C&D materials, which is created from debris generated from the construction, demolition, and improvement of all forms of infrastructure. But what are some of these C&D materials?
Some of these materials include concrete, wood, metal, bricks, and plastics. A lot of these materials take up a lot of volume, and are also very heavy. In turn, this generates a large amount of waste. In recent years, nearly 600 million tons of C&D materials have been generated per year in the United States. Of this, around 24% is sent to landfills. This leaves around 150 million of materials that can potentially be used. But what are some ways we can reuse these materials?
One way these materials can be used is to create aggregate. With the combination of a variety of these bulky materials, a strong compaction can be made. This is typically used to create concrete, which can be used in pavements, highways, and walkways. In fact, aggregate is the most common reuse of these materials.
Also, these materials can be turned into wood palettes. With the compaction of timber material into this form, engineers can conserve transportation costs when trying to use wood in areas that are far from abundant sources.
Similarly, metal can be compacted in a similar matter. While it may be difficult to compact large amounts of metal into steel beams, C&D metals can be compacted into wire or pipes, which do not demand as much energy as compaction into a steel beam.
The recycling of C&D materials involves a great deal of work with materials and structural engineers. But, if we hope to increase the sustainability of engineering and construction processes, we must begin to incorporate a circular mindset to the materials we use. Rebuying programs, research into reuse, and planning for the collection of these materials will allow for savings in both construction costs and net material expenditure. While a total reuse of all these materials is unrealistic, we should try our hardest to reduce this 24% rate of C&D as much as we can.
