Recycling Concrete

Traditionally, concrete that had reached the end of its lifespan was disposed of in landfills. A new trend has emerged that finds concrete aggregate being recycled via crushing machines and reused for new construction. Recycling concrete aggregate has a number of significant economic and environmental benefits.

It is predicted that half of North America’s existing infrastructure will need replacing in the next 20 years. Recycling concrete reduces the impact on landfill space requirements and is better for the environment by eliminating the pollution created by trucking concrete debris to landfills.

The desire to keep construction costs down is as strong as ever and recycling concrete avoids the costly hauling and landfill disposal fees. In addition, portable recycling machinery that is brought onsite to crush concrete is becoming more commonplace, which further reduces trucking fees and pollution. The ability to recycle concrete can also potentially lead to extra LEED points under the Sustainable Sites section.

Crushing facilities accept only uncontaminated concrete, which must be free of trash, wood, paper and other such materials. While most concrete treated with a traditional tar or petroleum based waterproofing membrane cannot be recycled, Kryton’s integral crystalline waterproofing products allow for concrete to be recycled at the end of life.

To ensure you and your structure benefits from the economic and environmental impacts of recycled concrete, choose a waterproofing solution that won’t force you to throw your concrete into the landfill.

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The American Concrete Institute (ACI) is a non-profit organization devoted to all matters related to concrete. Their extensive documentation and educational programs have made them the go-to resource for the industry. Recently, ACI published a new report on chemical admixtures for concrete called ACI 212.3R-10. This document contains a new chapter (15) focused entirely on Permeability Reducing Admixtures (PRAs). For those of us in the concrete waterproofing business, Chapter 15 has us very excited!

Prior to the new Chapter 15, permeability-reducing admixtures were mentioned only in passing as waterproofers or damp proofers – tucked away within a no-man’s-land chapter entitled Miscellaneous. Today, this specific category of admixtures has its own chapter, which is an assimilation of an enormous body of work. The chapter finally dispenses with troublesome terms like waterproof and damp proof. It explains (finally) that not all PRAs are created equal and discusses the three primary categories and how they function. The chapter discusses suitable applications for each type and provides a wealth of information on how to properly test and evaluate a PRA to ensure it’s suitable for the intended use.

Perhaps the greatest value of the new chapter comes from its clear categorization of permeability-reducing admixtures into two divisions: Permeability Reducing Admixtures for Hydrostatic (PRAH) conditions and Permeability Reducing Admixtures for Non-Hydrostatic (PRAN) conditions. The difference between the two is simple and straightforward. At last we have clear and descriptive language to use when speaking about these special types of chemical admixtures.

Chapter 15 embodies research dating back nearly five years. Volunteers from across the industry spent countless hours and untold effort in its development. The result is an excellent and valuable document.

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Sea World Penguin Exhibit, Gold Coast, Australia

Sea World’s new Penguin Encounter exhibit is home to a large waddle of King Penguins, the world’s second largest penguin species. The designers wanted to create an environment that looked as natural as possible, while retaining the required engineering attributes. The ambient summer temperature in sub tropical Queensland is close to 40 degrees Celsius, but the penguins’ water is chilled to two degrees Celsius .The constant movement at the waterline creates both significant physical wear on the concrete structure as well as temperature variation.

Kryton’s KIM was chosen as a solution for waterproofing the artificial rock in the exhibit. KIM’s self-sealing ability means that despite temperate changes, the wearing effects of the waterline and penguins clawing at the rock, the waterproofing will remain durable and reliable for the lifetime of the structure.

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