BRE investigates small volume wastes

A Building Research Establishment (BRE) led Partners in Innovation Project has been investigating the potential for making greater use of the many and varied small volume waste materials available.

The primary focus is on construction-related applications, particularly materials that can be used as cementitious materials or concrete fillers, and materials that can be used as aggregates, hardcore or fill.

For the purposes of the project small volume wastes are defined as: materials with a total annual UK-wide production of less than 0.5m tonnes, or materials that are widely dispersed with a total annual production and/or stockpiles of less than 100,000t at any one location.

With DTI and industry support the project, which started in March 2002, has obtained quantitative information on small volume wastes available to the construction industry.

It has investigated both wastes that are currently well utilised - such as Electric Arc Furnace slag - as well not those that are not, such as waterworks wastes, by products from aluminium recycling and bitumen felt roofing.

The project has also been looking at issues such as material supply and availability, procurement, handling and the relevant supply chains.

The findings of the project will be published in a BRE Information Paper later this year.