The Clay Life Cycle - Demolition and recycling

The last phase in a product’s life cycle can become the first, if demolition is followed by recycling and re-use. Despite the potential long life of clay brick buildings (well in excess of a 100 years), they are sometimes demolished well before the end of their useful life. The text below examines the options for re-using ceramic building materials.

A research project carried out by TBE in the late 1990s concluded that the following are possible uses for recycled clay building materials:

• Reclaim as bricks and tiles
• Filling and stabilizing material for infrastructure works
• Aggregates for in-situ and precast concrete and mortars
• Aggregates for calcium silicate bricks
• Tennis sand
• Plant substrates
• Other options

Building & demolition waste is used extensively throughout Europe for roadworks and for use as aggregate. This is facilitated by fast developing recycling technology that allows precise extraction of various materials from mixed demolition waste. Separating out ceramic matter provides an opportunity to recycle and re-use a very sustainable building material.

Overview:

• A longer life for buildings
   
• Demolition of buildings
   
• European policy
   
• Options for recycled brick material

	© TBE-Europe 2005 www.staywithclay.com