Barriers to the Recycled Concrete Market

Experienced concrete recyclers are now producing material approved by the premier specifying agencies, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). However, inexperience with recycled aggregate products due to lack of exposure remains a surmountable barrier to the recycled concrete market.

The recycled concrete aggregate industry has been a new world since the early 1980s. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state Departments of Transportation (DOT’s), and many municipalities now use recycled aggregate to varying degrees. But not everyone maximizes the use and advantage of recycled concrete aggregate materials.

The FHWA policy for recycled materials states that recycling and reuse can offer engineering, economic, and environmental benefits. Additionally, the policy states that restrictions that prohibit the use of recycled materials without technical basis should be removed from specifications.