On-site recycling cuts costs by up to 40%, says MB Crusher

BF80.3 crusher bucket on a Liebherr 924 (Image: MB Crusher)

Polish demolition and earthmoving contractor MBKOP used an MB Crusher BF80.3 crusher bucket to process demolition debris on site for reuse as sub-base, backfill and ground stabilisation material.

According to MB Crusher, keeping the material within the project eliminated the need to transport demolition waste to disposal facilities while also reducing the requirement for imported aggregates.

The company said the approach enabled MBKOP to reduce operating costs by between 30% and 40%, while cutting truck movements and speeding up project delivery.

MB Crusher also highlighted a selective demolition project undertaken by Thomas Hugo Baggerarbeiten in Sulzbach am Main, Germany.

The contractor was tasked with demolishing one half of a double garage while retaining the adjoining structure.

A hydraulic breaker was ruled out because of concerns over vibrations being transmitted to the neighbouring building. Instead, the contractor fitted an MB-P380 demolition pulveriser to a 5.5-t Bobcat E55 excavator.

Preparatory works included removing the garage door, supporting the floor slab, stripping the roof waterproofing and cutting a separation joint between the two structures.

The pulveriser was then used to dismantle the concrete structure while its integrated cutting blades cut the reinforcing steel. This allowed the concrete and reinforcement to be separated and the concrete reduced to a size suitable for subsequent crushing.

MB Crusher said the two projects demonstrate how selective demolition and on-site processing can reduce the amount of material transported away from demolition sites and increase the amount available for reuse.