# Recycled Concrete



## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

I have not heard any mention of "Recycled Concrete" on this forum. However, for those that use a floating roadbed method I think it would be a great material to use. 

When I worked for a rock quarry, we used to take broken up concrete from construction projects. After it we got a large stockpile of it, we would run it through our crusher and reduce it down into a base course. We would also add some "marginal rock" (rock that had a lot of clay in it that wouldn't pass normal standards) to the material to give it more rock for strength. It could be a pain in the neck to crush because there was usually old rebar in it that had to be removed, but the material itself was excellent for a base. 

The difference in this material is that when the material was rewetted, like many of you do after laying it in a trench, the concrete sortof reactivates itself and sets up again. The result is a very hard surface, not exactly like concrete but much harder than standard base course. We used this stuff in areas where there were problems with erosion and the customer didnt want to use asphalt. Many times this recycled concrete did the job. 

I dont know what the quarries around your area does with the old concrete. But, I do know there are traveling crushers that go all over the country to crush this stuff up. It wouldnt hurt to ask your local quarry if they have any of this material around. One word of caution is to ask what size the stuff is reduced down to. We crushed it down to a maximum of 1" which is just fine for what we do, but I know that some use a much larger maximum size and the larger rocks could be difficult to get a nice level base.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I have lifted sections of concrete roadbed, cut it and reinstalled it and jointed it in places to save time. I just pour conrete over the joined rebar then its all fine. 
I have also watered under the bed to make it settle faster and more even.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I have re cycled my road bed too. I have done the souppy mud trick too. But It doesn't take much water here to turn everything into a souply mess









JJ


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