Top 4 Uses for Aggregate (Crushed Concrete)
Crushed concrete is one of the most commonly used types of aggregate in the construction industry. It is an essential building material with numerous applications.
Learn how contractors acquire crushed concrete, why it’s a crucial construction material, and discover more about the top uses for aggregate.
Where Crushed Concrete Comes From
Concrete aggregate is typically produced on-site during demolition projects. It can also be obtained from other construction sites’ debris, such as demolished buildings, roads, and other concrete structures and asphalt elements.
Construction sites process the source concrete into a mobile crusher, such as the Komplet K-JC805. These machines recycle it and create aggregate materials suitable for numerous purposes. Here are some of the most common uses for concrete aggregate.
1. Road Construction
Concrete aggregate and crushed asphalt are essential ingredients in constructing new roads. Although the only visible element is the dark-colored bituminous material, the road consists of multiple layers, helping keep it level and capable of supporting vehicles of different sizes.
Aggregate concrete forms the base layer, under the asphalt and surface elements layers, and above the sub-base layer made of compacted soil. The aggregate serves two purposes: It helps flatten the sub-base after the initial earthwork and forms a robust foundation for the asphalt, giving the road a long lifespan.
2. Recycling Concrete
One of the most common purposes for concrete aggregate is recycling. Typically, new concrete is a mixture of cement, air, water, sand, and gravel. Concrete aggregate can replace gravel (if coarse) or sand (if finely crushed) in a concrete mix, using vibrating screeners such as the Kompatto 221 to separate fine materials from coarse ones.
Recycling crushed concrete to make new concrete has numerous advantages. It is highly cost-effective, avoids wasting resources, and saves landfill space, making it environmentally friendly.
Although recycled concrete does not have the same smooth and clean appearance as new concrete made from fresh materials, it is equally strong and durable, making it a suitable building material.
3. Railway Construction
Like the base layer in road construction, the track ballast sits on top of a prepared soil subgrade and serves as the surface on which the track’s rails, sleepers, and anchorage will rest. Track ballast creates a stable surface for the rails and serves as a drainage element, allowing rainwater to seep under the track and prevent flooding.
Traditionally, the track ballast is made of natural resources, such as crushed stone, gravel, sand, or clay. However, concrete aggregate products can replace these materials.
Using crushed concrete as a base material for railways significantly reduces construction and maintenance costs with no ride quality or performance loss.
4. Decoration and Landscaping
Construction companies can sell their recycled materials for landscaping purposes, allowing homeowners and cities to substitute it for landscaping stones.
Depending on the coarseness of the concrete aggregate, typical landscaping and decoration projects include parking lots, crushed concrete driveways, footpaths, or shoreline riprap. Aggregate concrete packed with dirt can also be used to make retaining walls.
Recycled concrete aggregate has a more weathered appearance than new concrete or natural stone, giving it unique aesthetic qualities that many homeowners appreciate.
Komplet America Helps Make Construction Sites More Efficient
Komplet America has supplied construction companies with a complete range of mobile construction waste recycling equipment for over 20 years. Our full range of mobile crushers, vibrating screeners, hammer mills, and shredding machines are ideal for on-site concrete and asphalt debris processing.
Using Komplet equipment on your job site helps you produce the building materials you need, reducing wastage and saving money. For more information, contact us at info@kompletamerica.com.
