Better way to reuse concrete

Concrete is made from granite aggregate, sand, cement, and water. While cement itself cannot be recycled, there has been increasing interest in recycling aggregate because of the environmental costs of mining the material and shrinking landfill space.

A STEEL mesh sunshaded box of a building in the dusty industrial estate of Kranji Crescent has been hosting a steady stream of visitors from China, Mongolia, Israel and France over the past four months.

Mostly engineers, contractors and academics, they come to gawk, snap pictures and peer at the high-tech gadgets at the Eco-Green Building.

The three-storey property built by civil engineering and building material company Samwoh Corporation boasts an entire level with fully recycled aggregate - or loose granite - in its concrete structure. It is the first such building in South-east Asia.

The visitors are keen to find out what kind of research was done on the material and how the building was constructed.

Concrete is made from granite aggregate, sand, cement, and water. While cement itself cannot be recycled, there has been increasing interest in recycling aggregate because of the environmental costs of mining the material and shrinking landfill space.

Currently, recycled aggregate is mainly used to line the bottom of roads and cast into road kerbs, rather than used in building structures, due to concerns about its strength.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.