In a new study, researchers have confirmed recycled concrete works just as well as concrete, and for some purposes, even better. The findings, published in the journal Construction and Building Materials, could help keep rubble out the landfill. For the study, engineers poured recycled cement to lay a building’s foundation and pave a municipal sidewalk. Researchers kept tabs on the material structures over a five year period.
Both the foundation and sidewalk proved as strong and durable as similar structures built using traditional cement. “We live in a world where we are constantly in search of sustainable solutions that remove waste from our landfills,” lead researcher Shahria Alam said in a news release.
“A number of countries around the world have already standardized the use of recycled concrete in structural applications, and we hope our findings will help Canada follow suit,” said Alam, co-director of the University of British Columbia’s Green Construction Research and Training Center.
According to a Alam, refuse from construction and demolition accounts for 40 percent of the world’s waste. Recycling rubble into concrete could alleviate the burden of demolition and construction activities on landfill.