5 Benefits of Concrete Recycling + 5 Impressive Examples

Is concrete recycling worth it? Concrete has been satisfying the requirements of this era’s rapid construction for decades and it was many architects’ favorite material—it is versatile, durable, and strong. However, the making of concrete is one of the leading causes of CO2 emissions and unmanageable waste.

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Luckily, with more attention now given to the negative impact of construction, stakeholders of the built environment are trying to benefit from concrete recycling. With the help of technology, concrete is now one of the Perfect Recycled Materials in the Architecture Field. Keep reading to explore the benefits of concrete recycling and enjoy the impressive examples!

5 Ways to Use Concrete Recycling

• Using Recycled Concrete in Aggregate

Courtesy of Polycor

Many governments and communities are benefitting from concrete recycling; they recycle concrete into crushed pieces that can be purchased inexpensively and reused easily. Recycled concrete can be used as an aggregate ingredient in concrete mixtures in construction projects. This is an excellent alternative to natural gravel. Moreover, using recycled concrete as an aggregate reduces the use of cement in the construction process, which is beneficial both economically and environmentally.

• Concrete Recycling for Pavements

While constructing a new road, a layer of gravel must be used to ensure the stability of the road. Concrete recycling can provide a layer of alternative gravel in road construction instead of new natural gravel. Many construction companies are using recycled concrete to minimize construction costs. There is a process called rubblization, which consists of breaking down an old concrete pavement and using it as a base for asphalt.

• Building Retaining Walls

Benefitting from concrete recycling by using crushed pieces or uniform bricks to build a retaining wall to support a building that is not structurally strong enough is an economic and reliable solution. “It can also be used to create a planting site for a terraced garden. A layer of gravel or broken-up concrete at the base can bring extra stability to your terraced garden—recycled concrete can be used as a landscape mulch.

• Foundation for a Breakwater

Concrete recycling can also be beneficial in protecting riverbanks, shorelines, and other structures near water edges from erosion. Using recycled concrete for this purpose creates durable foundations and cuts down costs and negative environmental impacts. However, it is important to analyze the chemical composition of old concrete before placing it in aquatic habitats.

• Concrete Recycling for Outdoor Surfaces

© Yong Gwan Kim

Recycled permeable concrete can be used to cover outdoor surfaces including driveways, parking lots, and walkways; this will reduce the runoff that must be handled by storm sewer systems. Permeable concrete also helps replenish groundwater levels. In some outdoor areas, crushed concrete can be used to create porous surfaces that work similarly to permeable concrete.

5 Impressive Examples of Projects Made from Concrete Recycling

• Upcycle Studios | Lendager Group

Location: Ørestad, Denmark, Copenhagen

Courtesy of Lendager Group

“WHAT IF: We could create homes with history? We could build new dwellings out of waste such as residual wood, crushed concrete, and windows from old buildings? We could build exclusive sustainable housing at no additional cost? We could minimize the total carbon footprint of the dwellings?

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In Upcycle Studios 75 percent of the windows come from abandoned buildings in North Jutland, Denmark. And 1400 tons of upcycled concrete are cast from very durable concrete waste from the construction of Copenhagen Metro. The wood for floors, walls, and facades are produced of offcuts from Dinesen – and the strong collaboration makes it possible to reuse the wood in the building.”

• SOS Children’s Villages Lavezzorio Community Center | Studio Gang Architects

Location: Illinois, Chicago

Courtesy of Studio Gang

“SOS community center combines services for foster care families and neighborhood families in one building. SOS is an international not-for-profit agency committed to training foster parents and reuniting siblings.

With its limited budget, contributions and in-kind donations were necessary to complete the Center. The building’s main “strata-wall” (made of varying mixes of the concrete cast into wavy horizontal layers) preserves and reveals the complex donation system that shaped the project. It also demonstrates the material properties of concrete by exposing its liquid nature.”

Courtesy of Studio Gang

• New Munch Museum | Estudio Herreros

Location: Oslo, Norway

© Einar Aslaksen

“The future Munch Museum is not only a facility to safeguard and exhibit a fundamental heritage in the history and nature of Norwegian culture.

The façades, finished in perforated aluminum with different degrees of transparency that give rise to an enigmatic, evanescent perception of the building, which reacts to the slight stimuli generated by Oslo’s climate, thereby creating very different images depending on the time of day; the huge sliding formworks that operate throughout 24 hours; the use of low-emissivity recycled concrete and steel; these and other advances endow the building with its pioneering nature on a number of different fronts.”

© Einar Aslaksen

• AB Residence | VARDAstudio

Location: Cyprus

© Creative Photo Room

“The concept of the AB Residence in Cyprus is driven by the two materials found near the house’s location: concrete pipes and metal sheets. The architects used these two materials to create two separate layers that envelope and protect the house. The external envelope comprises sections of stacked recycled concrete pipes along the north and south facades of the building. The heavy and durable features of the recycled concrete pipes provide additional sheltering from the solar gain and strong winds. Moreover, their aesthetic filters view from the house and add additional privacy.”

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• Kunsthaus Zurich | David Chipperfield

Location: Zurich, Switzerland

© Noshe

“Chipperfield’s project presents a double way of reusing material: not only 95% of the concrete employed for the building turns out to be recycled, but when we refer to the Kunsthaus, we are referring to the expansion of the Zurich art museum and what a better way to recycle a building that through restoration?

This project brings the best out of the 3B concrete, making use of its aesthetic characteristics, brighter than the usual concrete. Sustainable and environmentally friendly in its materiality and CO2 emissions, it honors Sweden’s renewed approach to the arts.”

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