# Old concrete as fill?



## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Ok As the contractors finish up the work in the basement (adding a bathroom and a closet to my mothers room) i asked for a quote for some concrete work I want to have done (soon) as well. The bulk of it will be where there are pavers existing that will simply come up and get stacked. However in teh front of the house is a section of concrete that is deteriorating badly. It was laid, I'm pretty sure, in 1972 when the house was built. My everntual plans are for a raised layout (there I've made a decision) and to that end would saving the old concrete in a pile behind the garage be worthwhile in lieu of hauling in more fill later? i'm thinking it would be cheaper than having the concrete hauled away by the contractor and then having to haul in some fill later? 

Thoughts or recommendations? 

There are a few other pieces of sidewalk that the former owner brought in and simply laid down that will also be replaced eventually as well so I've got more fill if I need or decide to use it. A few pieces that have sunk in in front of the garage and several pieces next to the garage that have raised and sloped towards the garage wall. Not a lot of fill but some eventually. That is if concrete is decent fill? 

Thanks guys! 

Chas


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## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

It does make good fill, as long as you don't plan on digging it back up! 

However, here on the West Coast, used/old concrete is recycled and contractors will happily come pick it up for free...large lots of old concrete are purchased by contractors to recycle. 

I remember when our local police department's K-9 unit was trying to train their dogs for use in search and rescue efforts, but to obtain federal (FEMA) grants they had to have a "rubble pile" to train on. Their quest to have concrete rubble donated ended quickly, and the department was forced to pay a pretty penny to purchase concrete rubble for their training pile. I've heard that the rubble pile has paid off though, as the well-trained rescue dogs have traveled to NYC and other locales helping to locate and rescue trapped survivors.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Stackem up as a cheap rock outcropping or mountain fodder. 

I used old bricks and concrete on a planter once, then later when i removed it, I "rediscovered" it, what a headache that was to get rid of


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Yep, good fill material - just make sure that its far enough underground that you won't find it again. 

I broke up an old 10' x 10' pad and chucked it into a raised area and thought it was the last I'd see of it. Ha! I was landscraping over summer and guess what I struck... Took a whole bunch of digging to get it out of my way a second time.


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