by ArchitectureWeek

A lot of attention has been given recently to the reuse of building materials rescued from demolition sites. Of course, some materials are more reusable than others. In some places, it has become quite fashionable to install century-old doors and windows — or entire buildings — nicks, stains, and all.

Not at all fashionable is the vast tonnage of broken concrete and asphalt that is typically removed from demolition sites, nearly all of it destined for landfills, where it will remain an eyesore and a hazard for decades, even centuries to come. But even these humble materials can be reused to serve useful lives in new structures.

This was demonstrated recently by a project of the Commonwealth of Virginia. By recycling broken concrete, project's managers have enjoyed impressive savings in two ways. They didn't have to pay to have the debris hauled away, and it became "free" material to use in new construction.   >>>

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Demolition of an unwanted laboratory building in Richmond, Virginia. Photo: Commonwealth of Virginia Demolition debris was sorted, and concrete was crushed into a usable size. Photo: Commonwealth of Virginia   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.