Ready-Mixed Concrete for the Construction Industry
Recycled Materials Company, Inc. (RMCI), parent company of ReCrete Materials, Inc., began investigation into the use of recycled concrete coarse and fine aggregates for production of ready-mixed concrete in the fall of 1996 through a senior design project at the Colorado School of Mines. Further testing and the formation of preliminary mix designs was continued during the startup of the “World’s Largest Recycle Project”, at the former Stapleton International Airport and a contract partnership with Aggregate Industries (AI) in the spring of 2000. Findings from all investigations has shown that the use of recycled coarse concrete aggregates has minimal effect on mix designs and compressive strengths, however, the use of recycled fine concrete aggregates must be minimized to limit the effects on water-cement ratios and compressive strengths. Some use of admixtures in the future may minimize these effects and allow for a greater percentage of fine aggregates to be used.
Recycled aggregate:
- Is high quality - meeting or exceeding all applicable state and federal specifications.
- Is currently being used in concrete and asphalt products with better performance over comparable virgin aggregates.
- Provides for superior compaction and constructability.
- Is higher yield - recycled aggregates are lighter weight per unit of volume, which means less weight per cubic yard, resulting in reduced material costs, haul costs, and overall project costs.
- Weighs ten to fifteen percent (10%-15%) less than comparable virgin quarry products (concrete).
- Offers a way to reduce landfill waste streams.
- Means minimization of environmental impacts in an "Urban" quarry setting.
- Fulfills your concrete needs for any government LEED or Built Green project.
