Developing an efficient mechanical processing machine for removing attaching mortar from recycled concrete aggregates.

Currently, construction and demolition waste is processed into recycled concrete aggregates. Due to remaining attached mortar these have inferior overall characteristics, restricting their use to mainly low-value applications or products.This project develops a machine which mechanically removes the attached mortar and separates the resulting material streams. This allows to regain the original aggregate characteristics while the removed and separated side stream of (un-)hydrated cement paste can be upgraded into new binders and admixtures for use in cement bound applications. This project thus contributes to an overall decrease in the consumption of natural resources for concrete production. Moreover, it clearly creates the potential of augmenting the added value of common recycled concrete aggregates. The developed demonstrator machine will enable this separation process at lab-scale level, processing common recycled concrete aggregates in a continuous way.

Keywords:mortar

Disciplines:Urban and regional design, development and planning