Recycled Concrete Aggregate — 5 Year Plan

In Colorado and surrounding states, the availability of quality virgin coarse aggregate that is resistant to chemical and physical degradation has decreased significantly in past years and will continue to decrease over the next decade (Hurcomb 2009). This reduction in availability is due to a greater amount of construction that has taken place over the last several decades. Finding a suitable replacement for virgin coarse aggregate is imperative for both the concrete industry and the construction industry.

This reduction in locally available coarse aggregate has forced ready-mixed concrete suppliers to purchase aggregates from outside their local area causing an increase in concrete cost. At the same time, the waste concrete from civil structures and infrastructure that have been demolished are filling landfills all around the world. Often times this landfilled concrete is made from the same high-quality aggregate that is in low supply.

Using these demolished concrete structures as recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) in concrete could provide a sustainable solution to the coarse aggregate shortage.