TCG-JSCE JOINT SEMINAR

Nov. 20, Athens

RECYCLING CONCRETE
-The present state and
future perspective-

Koji Sakai
Kagawa University, Japan

1
 Concrete
Constituents: coarse aggregate, fine
aggregate, cement (limestone and clay),
and water
“The most bountiful resources on the
Earth”
Therefore, concrete is the second most
consumed material on the Earth after
water.
at present: more than 20 billion tons
1950: 2 billion tons

2
 Environmental Problems in
Concrete Sector
Global warming
Resource depletion
Waste disposal

3
 World Cement Production by
Regions and Main Countries
USA Africa
Other America
3.1% 4.7% 2.83 billion tons
6%
CIS
3.2%
Others Europe*
0.5%
CEMBUREAU
10.8%

Oceania China
0.4% 49%

Others Asia
13.5%

India
CO2 emission from cement: 6.5%
Japan *Including EU27 countries not members of CEMBUREAU
2.46 billion tons 2.2%

4
 Estimated Cement
Demand (CSI-WBCSD)
Cement demand (million tons)

10000
Scenario A1
Scenario A2
8000 Scenario B1
Scenario B2

6000

4000

2000

0
’90 ’05 ’20 ’35 ’50 ’65 ’80 ’95

5
Warning by IPCC Report

“CO2 emissions must be reduced by

85 - 50% by 2050 compared with the
2000 level to limit CO2 to 350 -400 ppm.
Even if we could do it, a temperature
rise of 2.0 – 2.4 ºC will be inevitable.”

What is the current situation?

6
CO2 Observation in Hawaii

Keeling Curve

7
 Consumption of Natural
Resources on Earth
L. R. Brown: ECO-ECONOMY
Aggregates 20
Steel production (iron ore) 1
Gold production (gold ore) 0.7
Wood 3
Others 1.3
Total 26
(billion tons)
CO2 emissions from aggregate
production: 160 million tons

8
 Total CO2 Emissions from
Concrete Sector

Total: about 5.9 billion tons (Cement,

aggregate, steel, execution,
transportation)
It corresponds to 20% of the total
fossil fuel origin CO2 emissions,
which is 30.0 billion tones in 2007.

9
 Resource Input into
Construction Sector in Japan
Total Construction
Total: 2,000 (million Total: 1,000 (million
t/year) t/year)

Others

Construction Wood Concrete

1,000 (million 500 (million t/year)
t/year) Steel
50%
50%

10
 Amount of waste in Major
Regions

Amount of
waste (Mt) Europe USA Japan
Construction
and 510 317 77
demolition
waste
Municipal
waste 241 228 53
Source: CSI - Recycling
concrete

11
Waste Output from Construction
Industries in Japan
Industrial Waste Construction Waste
Total: 412 (million t/year) Total: 75 (million t/year)

Others Wood Others

Chemical Energy Asphalt
Sludge concret
Steel e
Agricultur
e
Pulp

Construction Concrete
75 (million t/year) 32 (million
18% t/year)
41%

12
Construction Waste in Each Country
Germany
ドイツ 5900
イギリス UK 3000 建設廃棄物(万㌧)
France
フランス 2400
イタリアItaly 2000
Spain
スペイン 1300
Netherland
オランダ 1100
Belgium
ベルギー 700
Austria
オーストリア 500
Portugal
ポルトガル 300
Denmark
デンマーク 300
Greece
ギリシャ 200
Sweden
スウェーデン 200
Finland
フィンランド 100
Ireland
アイルランド 100
Luxembourg
ルクセンブルク 0
EU 15 countries
EU15 18000
アメリカ USA 13500
Japan
日本 8500
0 5000 10000 15000 20000
Construction建設廃棄物(万㌧)
Waste (x10,000 t)

13
 Possible waste in
final disposal area
(million ton)

120
140
160
180
200
220
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
in Japan
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
General
Final Disposal Sites for Waste

Industrial

14
 Utilization Form
of Recycled Concrete

Reuse in original form by cutting them

into smaller blocks (very limited)
-slab reuse
Use as aggregate
- road sub-base or
- underground stabilization
- concrete

15
 0
5
10
15
20
25
Croatia
Denmark
Norway
Portugal
Turkey
Spain
Finland
Slovakia
Ireland
Italy
Sweden
Romania % Recycled Aggregate of Total Aggregate Use
France
Austria
Poland
Czech Republic
Germany
Switzerland
Belgium
Netherlands
Use of Recycled Aggregate

United Kingdom

16
 Recycling Ratio of Concrete
in Japan
Recycle
1990 Disposal

1995

Mostly used
2000 as road sub-
base
0 10 20 30 40

Emission of Concrete Lumps (million t)

17
Predicted Amount of Future
Concrete Lumps in Japan
600
Concrete production
Production (million t)

500

400

300 Concrete
Demand for
road subbase waste
200

100

0
1950 2000 2050
Year

18
 Recycling process of
concrete lumps
Demolished
Demolished Concrete
Concrete Lumps
Lumps

Jaw
Jaw Crusher
Crusher

Impact
Impact Crusher
Crusher Vibratory
Vibratory Sieves
Sieves Heating
Heating Tower
Tower

Vibratory
Vibratory Sieves
Sieves Cone
Cone Crusher
Crusher Coarse
Coarse Aggregate
Aggregate Scrubber
Scrubber

Road
Road Subbase,
Subbase, Vibratory
Vibratory Sieves
Sieves Fine
Fine Aggregate
Aggregate Scrubber
Scrubber
Backfill
Backfill
Low
Low Quality
Quality Low
Low Quality
Quality Vibratory
Vibratory Sieves
Sieves
Recycled
Recycled Recycled
Recycled
Coarse
Coarse Fine
Fine High
High Quality
Quality High
High Quality
Quality Powder
Powder
Aggregates
Aggregates Aggregates
Aggregates Recycled
Recycled Recycled
Recycled
Coarse
Coarse Fine
Fine
Aggregates
Aggregates Aggregates
Aggregates

(a) Road Subbase (b) Low Quality (c) High Quality

Recycled Aggregates Recycled Aggregates

19
The Most General Technologies
for Concrete Recycling
Road sub-base material
Non-structural concrete

20
Properties of Recycled Aggregate
Water Recovery
Absorption Percentage
(%) Size of Supplied
(%) Concrete
Recycled Lumps
Fine
5-10mm Aggregate
not less
than
10mm
Recycled
Coarse Gravel
Aggregat Sand
e
Cement
Powder Paste

No 1st 2nd 3rd Original

No 1st 2nd Concrete
3rd of Crushing
Number Number of Crushing
Treatment Treatment

21
 Recycling Technologies of
Demolished Concrete in Japan

(1) Heating and rubbing method

(2) Eccentric-shaft rotor method
(3) Mechanical grinding method

22
 Heating and rubbing
method

Coarse aggregate
recovering equipment
Concrete (Ball Mill)
rubble
Dust
extractor

Powder
Heating: Fine aggregate
300℃ recovering equipment Vibrating
(Mill) screen

Packed bed Recycled fine Recycled coarse

heater aggregate aggregate

23
Heating and Rubbing Method
Plant
Powder Storage Tank

Dart Collector

Classifier

Coarse Aggregate Mill

Recycled Coarse
Aggregate
Recycled Fine
Heating Tower Aggregate

Input Hopper Fine Aggregate Mill

24
Mechanism of Heating
and Rubbing Method

Heating at Rubbing
300C process

Concrete rubble Removal of

Weakening of
hardened powdered
cement paste cement hydrate

25
Recycled Aggregates & By-product
Powder by H&R Method

26
Quality of Recycled Aggregates
14
12
Recycled Fine/
Absorption (%)

10 Former Systems
8
6 Recycled Coarse/
Former Systems
High Quality
4 Recycled Aggregate
2
Virgin Aggregate
0
2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6
Oven-dry density (g/cm3)

27
An Example of Application of
Heating and Rubbing Method

28
 On-site Concrete Resource
Recycling System and CO2
P1 P2 P3 P4
P1:Road sub-bases
Usual 1,010 19,183 3,580 production, P2:
case Recycled aggregate
1,042
recovering, P3:
Closed-loop 2,530 2,349
concrete
17,852 Concrete mixing
system
and delivery, P4:
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000
Ground
CO2 Emission（ｔ）
improvement

29
Eccentric-Shaft Rotor Method

Crushed
Eccentric
Crushed
concrete
lumps shaft rotor concrete lumps
are passed
Motor downward
between an
outer and inner
cylinder.

30
An Example of Application of
Eccentric-Shaft Rotor Method

Old apartment Houses New apartment Houses

12 x 4-storied 7 x 9-19-storied
Concrete lump: 11,500 t Recycled coarse aggregate: 3,000 t
Recycled concrete volume: 3,000 m3
( Total concrete volume:40,000 m3 )

31
Mechanical Grinding Method

Recycled
Charge External diameter:
aggregate
Steel ball inlet 1500mm
discharge

Drum Passing
4000mm Partition hole
Plate

Coarse and fine aggregates are produced by

separating a drum into small sections with partitions.

32
Japan Industrial Standards for
Recycled Aggregate
JIS A 5021
– Recycled aggregate for concrete - Class H
JIS A 5022
– Recycled concrete using recycled
aggregate Class M
JIS A 5023
– Recycled concrete using recycled
aggregate Class L

33
Specified Values of Recycled
Aggregate in JIS
Class - H Class - M Class - L
Coarse Fine Coarse Fine Coarse Fine
Oven-
not less not less not less not less
dry than than than than － －
density 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.2
(g/cm3)
Water
not more not more not more not more not more not more
Absorp- than than than than than than
tion 3.0 3.5 5.0 7.0 7.0 13.0
(%)

34
Limits of Amount of Deleterious
Substances for RA-H
Category Deleterious substances Limits (mass%)
A Tile, Brick, Ceramics, Asphalt concrete 2.0
B Glass 0.5
C Plaster 0.1
D Inorganic substances other than plaster 0.5
E Plastics 0.5
F Wood, Paper, Asphalt 0.1
Total 3.0

35
 Application of Recycled
Aggregate
Scope of application
No limitations are put on the type and
Class - H segment for concrete and structures with a
nominal strength of 45MPa or less
Members not subjected to drying or
action such as piles,
freezing-and-thawing action,
Class - M
underground beam, and concrete filled in
steel tubes
Backfill concrete, blinding concrete, and
Class - L
leveling concrete

36
 Utilization of By-product
Powders
 Large amount of by-product powders
– Possible uses
• Cement material
• Ground improving material
• Addition to road bottoming
• Concrete addition
• Asphalt filler
• Inorganic board material
– Demands
• Quality stabilization
• Reduction of quality control
cost

37
 Barriers of Concrete Recycling
(CSI)
 Low economic cost of virgin aggregate
 Non-regular supply of construction and
demolished waste (C & DW)
 C & DW on-site waste management plans are
needed
 Misconception that recovered concrete is of
low quality
 Classification of recovered concrete as
waste can increase reporting and permit
requirements. Extra limitations can be placed
on use.

38
 Barriers of Concrete Recycling
(CSI)
 Processing technology for recovery of
concrete should consider possible air and
noise pollution impacts as well as energy
consumption.
 For specialized application (e.g. high
performance concrete), there are some
limitations on fitness for use.

39
 Future Technologies for
Concrete Recycling
 Concept of Completely Recyclable Concrete
– Recyclable concrete like steel and aluminum
– Production process of concrete
• Conventional downstream approach
– focusing on
» Cost reduction
» Efficiency in production
• New production system
– incorporating upstream (inverse) processes in
consideration of recyclability

40
Requirements for Ideal Recycling
Save energy
Make high performance concrete
Reduce waste
Conserve natural resources

41
 Cement-recovery Type Completely
Recyclable Concrete (The Uni. Of Tokyo)

• Concrete in which
binders, additives and
aggregates are all made
of cement or materials of
cement, and all of these
materials can be used as
raw materials of cement
after hardening

42
 Application of Cement
Recovery Type CRC

Precast Concrete Foundations Made from CRC in Kita-kyusyu

43
 Aggregate-recovery Type Completely
Recyclable Concrete (The Uni. Of Tokyo)

• Concrete which is
designed to reduce the
adhesion between
aggregate and the matrix
to an extent that does not
adversely affect the
mechanical properties of
concrete by modifying
the aggregate surfaces
beforehand, thereby
facilitating recovery of
original aggregate

44
Mechanism of Aggregate-recovery
Type CRC by Surface Modification
Chemical treatment The principal ingredient of the coating agent is
mineral oil. The agent hydrolyzes in alkali
conditions of fresh concrete, forming acidic matter
and indissoluble amalgam on the surface of the
aggregate. The surface coating results in decreased
amounts of cement hydrate, and leads to decreased
adhesive strength between aggregate and paste
matrix, allowing easy recovery of the original
aggregate.
Physical treatment
The coating agent is a water-soluble synthetic resin
emulsion, which is applied in process of abrasion,
and which is chemically stable in fresh concrete.
The uneven surfaces of virgin aggregate become
smoother, the shape of the aggregate being roughly
maintained. This has the effect of decreasing
adhesive strength between aggregate and paste
matrix.

45
 Crush
Proposed technology
< Recycled aggregate >
High-quality aggregate with low energy

< Concrete >

Concrete recycle by surface modification treatment to
aggregate
To enhance a peeling effect
of aggregate from mortar matrix Existing technology was very difficult
to ensure trade-off relationship :
Crush

Mortar matrix
Aggregate “Mechanical properties”
Aggregate
Surface improving agent and
(Water repellent agent)
Mortar matrix “Recycling performance”
Existing technology

46
 Emission of CO2 during Aggregate Recycling
40
Quantity of CO 2 emitted
Quantity of CO 2 emitted (kg/ton : Aggregate)

35 in Microwave-based Aggregate Recovering

30 * Heating process : Rated power of Microwave oven
by using test (The amount of one processing is 10kg.)
25 * Crushing process : Anamnestic case ( Rubbing method)
20 Manufacturing process of aggregate
15 Rubbing method
Microwave heating
10

0
- High quality)
(High quality)

(Middle quality

120sec.
technology 1

30sec. 60sec. 90sec.

technology 2
Existing

Existing

Microwave heating (Heating time)

Energy consumption of the aggregate recycling utilizing microwave heating

is small compared to existing technologies.

47
Recovery of Aggregate from
Concrete Waste by Electric
Pulsed Power Technology
(Kumamoto University: M. Shigeishi,
T. Namihira, M. Ohtsu, and H. Akiyama)

48
 Pulsed Power Method

Marx Generator
Concrete

49
 Fracture of Concrete by EPP
Cement &
aggregate mortar Aggregate
Aggregate
Aggregate

Gas
(pore)

Tensile
Tensile stress
stress

The dielectric breakdown of gas occurs in concrete by the pulsed electric

discharge at first. Ionized gas forms plasma and explosive volumetric
change tears concrete matrix.
The shock wave is also generated at the same time. The shock wave
generates the tensile stress at the boundary and mortar is separated from
aggregate.

50
 Controllable Fracture
• 20 shots

• 60 shots

• 100 shots

Concrete can be demolished under the

controlled fracture by frequency of
discharge and energy of discharge per once.

51
 Environmental Benefit
• For processing of 1000 kg of concrete waste;
Rubbing method Pulsed Power
with pre-heating method
Energy
29 kWh/t (*) 17.8 kWh/t (+)
Consumption
CO2
11.32 kg-CO2/t (*) 7.24 kg-CO2/t (+)
Emission
(*) refer to RECOMMENDATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
VERIFICATION FOR CONCRETE STRUCTURES (DRAFT), JSCE, 2006.
(+) estimated from experimental results of processing of 4 kg of concrete.

52
 Green Building Design and
Practices to Foster Recycling (CSI)
 Sustainability in initial design (durable
flexible designs, off-site prefabrication, and
deconstruction design)
 Optimum use of input materials in design
(reuse, recycling, building energy efficiency)
 On-site waste management plans (maximize
the potential for materials reuse and
recycling and minimize negative
environmental and health effects)

These aspects should be reasonably incorporated into

green building rating systems. At present, not enough.

53
 Concluding Remarks
(To be cont’d)
Concrete should be repeatedly recycled
with less energy.
More efficient recycling technologies
should be developed.
Recycling should be of high quality
from the user’s point of view.

54
Concluding Remarks (Cont’d)
The reasonable regulations and
design/green-rating systems should be
established to promote concrete
recycling.
Concrete recycling will become one of
the most important elements for
construction sustainability

55
 Acknowledgment
I would like to thank Dr. Noguchi, The
University of Tokyo, and Dr. Shigeyoshi
and Prof. Ohtsu, Kumamoto University,
for providing their PPT information on
concrete recycling.

56