The Circular Economy
Quite simply the circular economy requires three essential elements:
- Reducing raw material use
- Reducing waste to landfill
- Extending product life
In construction ground and foundation works the circular economy differs from the traditional linear economy, where primary virgin materials are extracted from the ground, trucked to construction sites, and used, before being sent to landfill at end of life.
With the circular economy existing in-situ soils are fully utilised on site. Using soil binding technology to create bound product with extended lifespan and allowing recyclability at the end of the product’s life.
The construction industry is responsible for much of the UK’s raw material consumption as well as for much of its waste. This is particularly relevant in the groundwork and foundation sector, where standard practise requires all top soils to be removed before site work commences. These would normally be replaced with primary materials trucked to site from the nearest area of extraction.
Even if a use can be found onsite for the excess top soils the contractor, will have already failed to reduce, or even eliminate the extraction and use of raw materials on this project.
Uniquely PowerCem have brought to the UK market a Zeolite based cement additive product which enables contractors to reuse all types of in-situ top soils, with predictable high strength results possible even from organic alluviums. The problem of reusing all in-situ soils can now be overcome.
The particle wrapping technology created by adding RoadCem reduces cracking, increasing density with improved dynamic elastic modulus which reduces deformation and extends the lifespan of bound soil road base, working platforms and ground foundation elements.
Remediation of contaminated land is also an important circular economy consideration for the contractor who should be reducing or even eliminating the removal of contaminated soils and materials and the landfilling of waste, in favour of the re-use of in-situ soils. PowerCem product ImmoCem has the same ability to form bound product from inorganic and organic soils creating cage like structures which permanently trap contaminants in crack free foundation elements.