Aggregates are the most mined material in the world because they are so useful for construction projects of any size. The question is, can we reduce the amount of aggregates mined in favor of materials that have already been created? The answer is yes, and here are some of the most popular types of recycled aggregates used in construction.
- Blast Furnace Slag: Blast furnaces create a lot of slag, which is simply a byproduct of the process. This slag can have strong cement-like properties which means it can be mixed in with real cement in order to reduce the amount of cement used by a bit. This is the most common source of recycled aggregates.
- Glass: Glass that cannot be recycled back into usable glass can be crushed up and used as an aggregate. It can be used to fill many things, from evening out a concrete floor to surrounding a sewer pipe, recycled glass aggregate is incredibly cheap and is great for the glass recycling process as well.
- Asphalt and Cement: Sometimes useless cement and asphalt can be torn up and used in other parts of construction. This is actually quite common and makes good use of construction materials that may otherwise be scrapped entirely.
- Polystyrene: Some plastics can be recycled and turned into construction aggregates as well. Some plastics, not used in construction, can be turned into aggregates in the recycling process in order to be turned into a low-density, high-strength polymer. This polymer can be used in things such as roads, replacing gravel in road usage.
Many things can be used as aggregates, so it would make sense to recycle and try out new aggregates to reduce the amount of material sitting in landfills. As time progressed, we will most likely see more and more recycled aggregates used in construction
