International Conference on Sustainable Design, Engineering and Construction
Investigation of concrete recycling in the U.S. construction industry
The emerging sustainable development movement in the construction industry requires the recycling of waste materials to reduce
the negative environmental impact of construction activities. In many countries, old concrete, a major waste stream generated
from the demolition of obsolete buildings/structures, is being recycled. However, for various reasons, progress toward concrete
recycling varies from country to country. This paper discusses the current status of concrete recycling in the U.S. construction
industry based on results from a two-part questionnaire survey. The first part of the survey collects information on the recycling
practices of surveyed concrete companies. The second part adapts questions from a study conducted in Australia and Japan to
examine the awareness, benefits, difficulties, and recommended methods related to concrete recycling. The findings showed that
although recycling old concrete is common in the U.S., its application is mostly limited to backfill and pavement base; using
waste concrete in new concrete production is not widely applied. There are also similarities and differences in the perceptions of
concrete recycling between U.S. concrete companies and their counterparts in Australia and Japan.
© 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Peer-review under responsibility of organizing committee of the International Conference on Sustainable Design, Engineering
and Construction