Leiths

The amount of construction aggregates from recycled and secondary sources in the UK has reached an all-time high as producers invest in ways to turn ‘waste’ into materials that can be used in concrete production.

A recent report from the Mineral Products Association (MPA) shows that the total volume of recycled and secondary  materials reached a record 73.5 million tonnes in 2022. Under BS 8500, the complementary British Standard to BS EN 206, recycled aggregates within concrete are split into two categories; crushed concrete aggregate (CCA) and recycled aggregate
(RA). RA is produced from crushing inert construction and demolition waste. CCA consists primarily of crushed concrete.
Joss have been supplying recycled sand and aggregates from our Lochhills Quarry for many years. Production trials have recently been carried out on producing CCA that can then be used in concrete production.

When using recycled aggregates within concrete, the constituents need to be assessed to ensure that its inclusion
does not affect the water demand and cement content, as this is the biggest contributor to the embodied carbon of concrete.

BS 8500, the British Standard for concrete, permits the use of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) in concrete production. Specifically, it allows up to 20% of the natural coarse aggregate to be replaced by crushed concrete aggregate (CCA) in Designated Concretes RC20/25 to RC40/50, without requiring a declaration. Higher percentages are also possible and  100% is permitted in GEN 0 to GEN 3 concrete (non-reinforced concrete for footings and floor slabs in domestic applications). Leiths are continually striving to provide lower carbon, sustainable solutions to our customers. With the inclusion of a CCA in the ready-mix, this helps promote circularity and enables Leiths to make the “Grey Greener”.