As the construction sector continues to cope with the availability and cost of raw materials, CDE demonstrated the potential of construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste to address the challenges facing the sector.  Additionally, on 24 and 27 October , CDE was joined at its bauma stand by a number of its European customers for a series of round table discussions on the future of recycling, and, as part of the bauma exhibitor forum on 24 October, delivered a lecture on the topic of ‘Creating valuable in-spec products from CD&E waste’.

Rethinking construction waste

CDE believes that a circular approach is essential. CDE’s head of business development for North West Europe, Eunan Kelly stated: “It can be the means to equip us with the resources needed to supply a sector charged with a key role in the economic recovery while addressing our collective environmental footprint by reducing waste to landfill volumes and extending the lifespan of precious natural materials. All the while continuing to supply a resource intense sector with the materials it requires; materials often trucked out of our urban centres where they are needed most.”

CDE showed at bauma how it supports materials processors to realise the value locked in CD&E waste. Using highly innovative wet processing technologies that scrub material, float off lightweights (demolition debris) and classify end products, this waste stream can be repurposed to produce washed materials free of contaminants and suitable for use in high value construction projects. To date, CDE solutions have supported companies around the world to divert over 100M/t from landfill.

“These are far from ‘alternative’ materials, many material processors utilising CDE technology are successfully producing CE and BSI certified concrete products, including competitive concrete for non-structural, but still high value, construction projects, with some applications successfully achieving beyond C45 spec,” says Eunan. Illustrating Eunan’s comments, in Norway, Velde Pukk AS plays a significant role in meeting the material demands in Stavanger. Utilising high quality recycled aggregates and its onsite concrete batching plant, the firm supplies the construction industry with a CE certified concrete from 100% recycled aggregates. DA Mattsson, based near Stockholm in Sweden, diverts almost 100% of its incoming CD&E waste from landfill through its CDE wet processing operation. The company produces high quality sand and aggregates that meet EN 12620 specification, supplying these concrete materials to the Stockholm construction market.

Rising to the challenge

“We are faced with a myriad of challenges. Set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and continued rises in the cost of raw materials, these issues have been heightened and highlight the urgent need to radically adjust how we utilise the resources around us in a more circular fashion,” added Eunan. CDE reinforced its message that we can build back greener using sustainably sourced and recycled construction materials. CDE believes that its technology is demonstrating the potential of CD&E waste streams. It enjoyed the opportunity to welcome some of its pioneering customers from the French speaking, DACH and Scandinavian regions to join with it at bauma to talk about their vision, discuss best practice and share their experiences of collaborating with CDE.

The CDE stand used a combination of 3D animations, 360o virtual tours, 3D printed models and augmented reality to introduce a new way of immersing visitors in its process engineering expertise and some of its most innovative projects and products, including the leading ‘AggMax’ and ‘EvoWash’ technologies.