Residual concrete recycling system taken into operation

West Hawaii Concrete favors closed material flow

Fig. 1 Bibko^® residual concrete recycling plant with attached screw conveyor.

Fig. 2 Layout of the residual concrete recycling plant on the Hawaiian Island.

In deciding to invest in a Bibko residual concrete recy-cling plant, West Hawaii Concrete has taken a trend-setting decision for the Kailua Kona site. Before residual and returned concrete has been transported to the company’s Works II. The material hardened there before being subsequently broken up again. Residual concrete recycling has thus not taken place until now. The consequence of this was a high proportion of unproductive time for the vehicles in transporting the residual materials as well as additional costs for crushing the material.

West Hawaii Concrete is one of the leading producers of aggregates and ready-mix concrete in the west of the island of Hawaii. Alongside two ready-mix concrete plants, the company also owns four quarries. Mobile concrete pumps round off its service to the customers. The company is owned by the Knife River company of North Dakota, USA.

A closed material flow has now been created directly at the Kailua-Kona works with the Bibko system. The advantage of the closed material flow is that all aggregates can be reused in the mixing process following the recycling process.

The recycling process inside...