Unpopular opinion: Recycled aggregate performs better than I expected

We switched to crushed concrete for a base layer on a highway project. It held up under heavy traffic and passed all compaction tests. Our disposal costs dropped since we used onsite waste. Curious if others have seen similar benefits with recycled materials.

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron_hayes785d ago

How has it held up over a longer time? Did you see any wear or damage after a full year? I ask because recycled stuff can sometimes fall apart quicker under heavy use. Saving money on disposal costs sounds great. Was there any trouble getting approval to use recycled material?

webb.daniel5d ago

Yeah, that long-term wear worry is totally fair... heard the same approval headaches from our crew too.

the_christopher5d ago

Phoenix did a big study on recycled concrete for road bases and found it held up just as well as virgin aggregate after 5 years. @aaron_hayes78 that might ease your mind about the long term wear. Sounds like the main hassle is just getting the specs approved initially.