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Crushed concrete from old slabs made our last pour cheaper and greener
I've been trying out using crushed concrete from old jobs in new mixes. It means less stuff goes to the dump and we don't need as much new rock. We used it on a driveway last month, and the finish was just as smooth. I mean, we had to add a little more water, but it was no big deal. Maybe it's just me, but cutting down on waste makes the job feel better. The customer liked that it was cheaper too. Give it a shot if you can get your hands on some old concrete.
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price.zara6mo ago
On a sidewalk pour in Oakdale, we used 40% recycled concrete from a demo site. It saved us nearly twenty percent on gravel costs. The finish held up great through the winter freeze-thaw cycles. Just make sure to screen the crushed stuff well to avoid big chunks.
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ward.nathan6mo ago
That point about it holding up through freeze-thaw is key. I've seen a lot of older pours around town where the surface just crumbles after a few winters. If the recycled stuff is screened clean and mixed right, it sounds like it might actually bind better long term than some virgin aggregate. Makes you wonder if the older cement in the recycled chunks creates a stronger chemical bond with the new mix. What's the oldest pour you've seen using this method?
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corab775mo ago
Wish that was my experience. We tried a similar mix for a driveway apron and it started spalling after the first real cold snap. Maybe our batch wasn't screened right, but it put me off the idea.
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