The civil engineering sector accounts for a significant percentage of global material and energy consumption and is a major contributor of waste material. The ability to recycle and reuse concrete and demolition waste is critical to reducing environmental impacts meeting national, regional and global environmental targets. The editors and expert contributors summarize recent research in achieving these goals. Part one considers techniques for managing construction and demolition waste, including waste management plans, ways of estimating levels of waste, the types and optimal location of waste recycling plants, and the economics of managing construction and demolition waste. The middle section reviews key steps in handling construction and demolition waste. It begins with a comparison between conventional demolition and construction techniques before going on to discuss the preparation, refinement and quality control of concrete aggregates produced from waste. It concludes by assessing the mechanical properties, strength and durability of concrete made using recycled aggregates. Finally, the conclusion discusses environmental and safety issues such as the removal of gypsum, asbestos and alkali-silica reaction (ASR) concrete, as well as life cycle analysis of concrete with recycled aggregates.
