Electro-fragmentation offers new recycling solution for fibre-reinforced concrete

A pan-European research project is investigating the use of electro-fragmentation to help recycle fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC). Increasingly used in civil applications such as tunnels and bridge decks, FRC can be challenging to recycle because of the difficulty in separating the tiny fibres from the concrete material. “Most of the research into FRC is about the formulation or the application of the material,” said Kathy Bru, a process engineer at research organisation BRGM. “We are looking ahead 20 or 3
July 12, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
A pan-European research project is investigating the use of electro-fragmentation to help recycle fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC).


Increasingly used in civil applications such as tunnels and bridge decks, FRC can be challenging to recycle because of the difficulty in separating the tiny fibres from the concrete material. “Most of the research into FRC is about the formulation or the application of the material,” said Kathy Bru, a process engineer at research organisation 8761 BRGM. “We are looking ahead 20 or 30 years to the end-of-life so that we can recycle and reuse again.”

The project is part of a bigger European research programme called HISER led by Spanish company 1582 Tecnalia, a research-to-market product consultancy. It aims to find better ways to cope with the 461 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste, excluding excavated material, produced every year in the 1116 European Union.

As well as looking for new recycling techniques to improve the value of waste materials,

some of the 25 partners are examining how specification can be changed to include more recycled materials in new construction projects.

Electro-fragmentation is a process that applies a high-voltage electrical charge into the material. It creates a shock, akin to a lightning strike or a demolition blast. The shock is concentrated at the interface between the different materials, which separates them out. The process was developed for mineral processing.

To date, the project has tested a small sample in the laboratories of 3180 Lafarge. The results reportedly look promising, with the possibility of reusing both fibres and concrete elements. Researchers are now working on FRC originating from the demolition of an experimental FRC bridge.

The next steps will be to evaluate the cost, in terms of cash and carbon, said Bru: “It’s also very important to consider the economic and environmental impact of new technology to ensure that what we think are good ideas are also good from an economic and environmental perspective.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The industry’s most trusted brand in continuing education
    September 4, 2019
    With the release of an update catalogue of training and credential programmes available to road professionals worldwide, IRF has affirmed its role at the road industry’s most trusted brand in continuing education. For 70 years, an essential part of IRF’s mission has been the organisation and delivery of continuing education services that help strengthen human skills and contribute to the dissemination of knowledge and field expertise. Today, IRF’s curriculum of 40 certified courses provides technica
    Read More
  • Breathing Ecological Roads – GRAA winner
    May 10, 2018
    The IRF office in Washington has presented an award to revolutionary ecological permeable pavement that helps avoid heat islands Climate specialists and town planners everywhere are increasingly aware of the thermal impacts of city pavements which trap heat on hot summer days, and are known as “urban heat islands”. These heat islands can adversely impact the sustainability of cities by increasing the dependence on mechanical cooling. Permeable pavements, such as porous asphalt, offer some relief but typi
    Read More
  • New methods for non-destructive concrete testing
    August 29, 2017
    How best is it possible to assess the state of concrete in a road pavement, bridge deck or tunnel wall? One of the most reliable ways is to take a core of concrete from the structure to analyse and test in the laboratory. One downside to this method is that doing the test creates weak points in the structure that must then be repaired. Another is that the frequency of such cores cannot be too great – so it is possible that some problem areas will be missed. New technologies from the world of geospatial eng
    Read More
  • World’s largest bridge deck for KAIA expansion
    December 16, 2013
    A bespoke formwork solution from RMD Kwikform is playing a key role in creating the largest ever airport cast bridge deck as part of the multi-billion dollar expansion of King Abdulaziz International Airport near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The firm is also a leading player in the creation of arterial tunnels under the airport’s elevated roads, another key part of the project’s first phase works due for completion in 2014. Guy Woodford reports
    Read More

Highlighted Content