Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials in the world and plays a central role in modern construction. With the growing awareness of sustainability and resource conservation, the topic of concrete recycling is becoming increasingly important. Efficient recycling processes make it possible to reuse valuable raw materials, reduce the environmental impact and lower construction costs. However, concrete recycling is not only relevant in building construction and civil engineering, but is also becoming increasingly important in specialist civil engineering, particularly in the capping of bored piles.



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The importance of concrete recycling
Concrete recycling is a key component of a sustainable construction industry. In view of the global increase in construction activities and limited natural resources, it is necessary to efficiently organize the cycle of building materials. The process of concrete recycling involves collecting, crushing and reprocessing old concrete in order to reuse it as an aggregate for new concrete or other building materials.
Environmental aspects of concrete recycling
Recycling concrete not only reduces the need for natural raw materials such as gravel, sand and cement, but also lowers the energy consumption and CO2 emissions associated with the production of new concrete. It also reduces the amount of waste going to landfill, which in turn minimizes the environmental impact and extends the life of existing landfills.
Economic advantages of concrete recycling
In addition to the ecological benefits, concrete recycling also offers economic incentives. The reuse of demolition material reduces the costs for the procurement of new materials and the disposal of construction waste. This leads to lower construction costs and increased profitability of construction projects.
Challenges in concrete recycling in special civil engineering
In specialist civil engineering, piles are used to found structures on load-bearing ground. Once the piles have been installed, they often have to be processed to the desired height in order to create a level support surface for the subsequent construction. The upper part of the concrete is removed to expose the embedded reinforcement cages. This demolition material – which usually consists of very large chunks of concrete – must either be transported to a recycling plant or recycled directly on the construction site. This not only results in high costs but also has a negative impact on the environment due to the many transports. In addition, replacement material has to be brought to the construction site, which in turn results in costs and environmentally harmful transportation.
Direct recycling with the Brextor® method
Brextor® is an innovative and patented method for cutting pile heads efficiently, safely and qualitatively. The concrete inside and outside the reinforcement is removed at the same time. The demolition material consists of 80% gravel 0-30mm!
This demolition material can therefore be reused directly on the construction site (depending on the specifications).
Breaking piles with an innovative solution
Read more about the innovative Brextor® method here, because Brextor® offers more than just recycling of demolition material:
With this method, not only single piles, but also all types of pile walls (tangent, secant or contiguous) are processed gently by machine. The work is carried out by one person and one machine, whereby the weather conditions have no influence here.
Brextor® offers the following advantages:
Increased construction quality
Perfect pile breaking without cracks in the pile body or spalling on the pile outer skin, no bent or torn reinforcements and a height accuracy of +/- 1cm.
💵 Reduced construction costs
The demolition material consists of 80% gravel 0-30mm and can therefore be reused directly on the construction site. In addition, Brextor® requires less working space than conventional mining methods. This means that not only expenses for transportation and disposal incl. fees are saved, but the purchase and supply of replacement material is also eliminated. Furthermore, the preparatory work eliminates the need for a separating diamand cut at the final extraction level and the cleaning effort is massively lower than with conventional extraction methods.
⏱ Shortened processing time
For example, a pile with a diameter of 1 m and a height of 1 m can be processed within 40 minutes. A daily output of up to 16 piles is possible. In addition, Brextor® provides reliable performance and therefore increased planning security.
♻️ Environmentally friendly
With Brextor®, the demolition material (80% gravel 0-30mm) can be reused directly on the construction site. Brextor® also requires less working space. This saves excavation and replacement material. By reusing the demolition material directly on the construction site and saving on excavation and replacement material, transportation can be saved. In addition, landfills are less polluted.
👷 Increased health & safety at work
No heavy physical labor is required for pile processing, which massively reduces the risk of health hazards such as HAVS syndrome. Brextor® also avoids working in danger zones.
Find out more about Brextor® here:
Contact us for more information and find out how you can benefit from this revolutionary pile breaking method.
Call us on +41 41 495 05 20 or send an e-mail to info@brc.swiss. We look forward to working with you and taking your projects to the next level.