NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- Use of Concrete Demolition Waste as Aggregates in Areas That Have Suffered Destruction. A Feasibility Study.
- File
- PB275888.pdf
- Author(s)
- Frondistou-Yannas, S. A.; Ng, H. T. S.
- Source
- National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C., November 1977, 173 p.
- Identifying Number(s)
- MIT-CE-R77-37
- Abstract
- Millions of tons of concrete debris are annually generated by natural disasters. For instance, the San Fernando Earthquake of 1971 generated 5 million tons of concrete debris. Disposal of such massive quantities of concrete waste poses a difficult problem. Moreover, during the reconstruction period significant demand usually develops for construction materials, with resulting material shortages and price inflation. In the wake of a natural disaster, therefore, a sudden upsurge in supply of concrete debris coincides with a compelling demand for construction materials. Recycling of concrete debris as aggregate for new concrete suggests itself as an environmentally responsible mechanism for solution of the problem which is posed. This report examines the technical and economic aspects of such a solution. The findings suggest that such recycling of concrete debris is technologically feasible. Moreover, it is economically attractive, provided that at least one million tons of concrete debris has been produced by the catastrophic event.
- Keywords
- Concretes; Construction materials; Disasters; Solid waste disposal; Earthquakes; Economic analysis; Waste recycling; Reclamation; Aggregates