Concrete is not a biodegradable material. Therefore, the best way to dispose of concrete is to recycle it; this includes mobile crushing concrete and reusing it for other construction projects.
What Aggregate Is Used To Crush Concrete?
Aggregates are materials, i.e., gravel, crushed stones, sand, etc., added to the concrete mix to provide strength and durability. They are usually about 60 to 80 percent of concrete mix and can be manufactured, natural or recycled material.
You can use several aggregates to crush concrete during construction, but they are mainly divided into two categories.
Coarse Aggregates
Coarse aggregates are particles greater than 4.75mm. Several examples of such aggregates include gravels, crushed stones, and even previously used concrete.
Finer Aggregates
These are usually sands or crushed stones with finer particles that can pass through a 3/8-inch sieve. Some other common materials that could be used as fine aggregate in concrete include fly ash, cinders, stone screenings, etc.
How To Crush Concrete?
To crush cement requires some effort and hard work. Still, the method of crushing concrete often depends on the size of the concrete to be crushed. For smaller home projects, homeowners mostly choose the sledgehammer to crush concrete. However, industrial crushing machinery is used to break down concrete structures in larger-scale concrete crushing.
After demolishing the initial structure, a large impactor is used to crush concrete to smaller sizes. Then, the crushed concrete is screened for dirt and other unwanted materials while the crushed materials are separated into different-sized aggregates.
Another common method of crushing concrete is pulverizing. But it is difficult to separate dirt and other contaminants from crushed concrete using this method. Thus, pulverization isn’t the best way to crush old cement.
How Much Does It Cost To Crush Concrete?
The average cost of concrete removal worldwide is $1,444, but this cost can vary based on location, size, thickness, etc. If you decide to crush concrete at home by yourself, you can spend as little as $500 depending on the cost of getting a crusher, dump trailer rental, transportation, etc.
What Can Crushed Concrete Be Used For?
Driveways or Walkways
Crushed concrete is a popular driveway material for many homeowners because they are more cost-effective and help prevent infiltration of your walkway by rainwater to prevent causing runoff.
Retaining walls
Larger pieces of crushed concrete are perfect for building retaining walls, while smaller crushed sizes can be used as the base of the retaining wall to help control erosion and keep the wall stable.
Raised garden bed
There are several benefits of using crushed concrete to raise your garden bed, and one is improving drainage. In addition, crushed concrete helps form the perfect base and helps your plant grow faster.
Where Can I Sell The Crushed Concrete?
You could sell to friends and family who need them to build pathways, retaining walls, etc., or visit general contractors and local road builders to inform them about your business of selling crushed concrete, let them know your price, and begin selling.
Summary
Selling crushed concrete is eco-friendly and a good way to make some money but before you begin, ensure that you have a stable flow of demolished concrete.
