Chinese researchers are pioneering new-wave construction with recycled sand and gravel. They repurposed this construction waste from demolished buildings, promoting a sustainable building boom.
A study from Tsinghua University, per Interesting Engineering, developed a map of aggregates.
This map is the China Aggregate Metabolism Provincial Scenarios (CHAMPS) model. It shows the supply and usage of aggregates across China's provinces.
The model relies on reduce-reuse-recycle or circular economy principles.
As the report stated, it is "limiting per capita housing area" for living standards. The map will also be "adopting lightweight building designs" while "extending building lifespans."
Using "advanced recycling technologies," recycling rates could reach a 35-65% increase.
Recycling aggregates could supply 48% of the total supply. Enough to "[surpass] manufactured aggregates around 2046."
China's annual aggregate demand may decline to between 9.2 and 12.4 billion tons by 2050, according to the study.
"[Recycled] aggregate production could meet a sizeable share of future demand," researchers postulated.
Construction is a resource-intensive industry around the world.
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Traditional methods rely on virgin materials like natural sand and gravel. Over time, this led to severe environmental degradation (riverbed extraction) per the report.
Production of traditional concrete also carries a significant environmental impact. Manufacturing cement, its key ingredient, is a major source of planet-warming carbon pollution. China accounts for over 600 million tons of annual global pollution.
The country's aggregate demand is a decade strong, now pushing for sustainable alternatives.
This groundbreaking approach offers immense benefits. Cities gain a reliable, more affordable source of construction materials. At the same time, they reduce production costs for future infrastructure development.
It minimizes the need for destructive quarrying, which can degrade landscapes and ecosystems. This also curbs the massive material waste from demolition.
Shifting toward recycled materials leads to less pollution from extraction and manufacturing. This creates cleaner air and healthier communities.
Per the report, recycled aggregate use in buildings could rise from 1-26%, and from 9-83% in infrastructure.
This technology makes daily living easier for future generations. The built environment will have materials that are both high-performing and sustainably sourced.
The researchers said in the report that "policy support" will help "[accelerate] this transition."
The CHAMPS model serves to correct China's costly environmental past with sustainable growth. It offers a progressive example for developing regions worldwide.
France's first cement-free concrete block production line uses industrial by-products and captured carbon. A similar global push toward sustainable building materials is beginning.
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