What are the recycling possibilities for precast concrete manufacturing?
Concrete performance actually improves when several common industrial byproducts are added. High quality fly ash and slag that would otherwise go to landfills can be incorporated into concrete mixes as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Use of these byproducts can reduce reliance on cement as a binder. Even the prestressed strand and reinforcing steel, almost always made from recycled materials, can be recycled and reused again and again. Insulation and connections within the precast also contain recycled content. Finally, when a precast concrete structure has served its purpose, it can be crushed and used as aggregate in new concrete or as base materials for roads, sidewalks and concrete slabs.
