Use and recycling of construction and demolition waste in Spain (Concrete and Masonry Debris)

Spain is the fifth country generating construction and demolition waste (CDW) and unfortunately, is one which does the least to recuperate them, as stated in the Symonds & Ass report. This report indicates that 95% of the 13 million tons of waste materials yearly generated end up in the dump. In our country the rnanagement of CDW belongs to the Autonomous Regions with the exception of the waste originated from minor house works. Trying to solve this problem the Autonomous Regions are defining their rnanagement plans according to the hierarchy principle, stated in the title 1.1 of the Law 10/1998 referring to waste products. his principle establishes as a top priority the prevention ?whenever possible-- the reutilization and recycling through a thorough selection on site, in order to fu1iher treatment, both of the mixed recycled materials as well as the ones used in treatment plants and to clearly assess all that cannot be reused o recycled. The final deposit in the dump is the last option, and the least satisfactory one. A main aspect to be considered when dealing with construction-demolition waste recuperation and recycling is that econornic and environrnental interests are al so part of this issue. The challenge for the future is, to make the human economic development compatible with the environment preservation supporting it; that is sustainable growth. Therefore, regarding this, all the recuperating and recycling activities are of great importance. The demolition waste has a well known reuse potential. This reuse has, nevertheless, certain limitations due to the characteristics of the waste itself. The construction waste (debris) that can be reused is mainly produced during the phases of demolition, collapse, transformation or building enlargement, as well as in those civil works such as roads, airports, driveways or other traffic surfaces. Due to its heterogeneity, the waste derived from construction presents more difficulty, because the compound construction materials make the recuperation more complex. The recycled aggregate can be applied for many different uses, but the main recycling plants in Europe rework them into materials not demanding high quality; normally they are used as fillings, packings or sub-bases for road construction. This is due to the lack of quality control in these fields. In countries where the quality standards are further developed, as in the Netherlands, the recycled material is used for other items with greater specific value, as in the manufacturing of concretes and mortars. In Spain, recycling of CDW is not common yet due, mainly, to an absence of politic aims and the lack of legislation and appropriate control, with the exception of sorne precise movable grinding or recycling plants. Of all the CDW generated in Spain, approximately a 60% is made up of masonry and about a 20% corresponds to concrete debris. Presently there are six aggregate recycling plants in Spain: three in Barcelona, two in the Basque Country and one in Madrid. This paper analyses the values and applications of this kind of waste in Spain