![\"Dump](\"https:\/\/www.arch.tamu.edu\/app\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Image-11-16-22-at-2.14-PM-1024x668.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSalvage Stigma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Another battle they\u2019ll have to face is the general stigma associated with reusing materials, as many consumers assume that recycled products will be of lesser quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere’s wear and tear, there’s potential durability issues. It\u2019s is very hard to control the end quality and have a really good understanding of what that aggregate is,\u201d said Hartell. \u201cThe different compositions of materials mean that extensive testing needs to be done to prevent chemical interactions, volumetric or durability issues. It\u2019s like a really big chemistry problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But advancing technology and the potential net positives for the environment, cost, and waste streams make now the perfect time to conduct this research and help shape the future of the industry, she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a future where we can not only limit waste, but also reduce carbon footprint because we no longer have to transport all the material,\u201d she said. \u201cWe use fewer raw materials, less energy, less water. It extends the life cycle of existing materials and prevents potential pollutants from going into our environment because we\u2019re rebinding them and securing them in a new building block.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Location, location<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hartell\u2019s vision eliminates transport cost and associated emissions by doing all the processing of materials and creation of new concrete on the demolition site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe building is demolished on site and we have a processing plant on site,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can bring in a mobile plant to make new concrete units from the demolished buildings, and then we can rebuild on site.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The work of processing the materials, doing the calculations and science to create a stable aggregate and mixing the new concrete could also create an entire new market of recycling\/ construction industry jobs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a new product that can lower the cost of construction and can be scaled up in every single municipality. We\u2019re looking at the creation of a potential new, trillion-dollar economy for the United States and a new workforce,\u201d she said. \u201cAccording to a recent Environmental Protection Act report, currently a worker in the recycling industry makes approximately $70,000 a year. For every 1000 tons, you need a person, so that would potentially be several hundred thousand good-paying jobs.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saving money, making money<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Because companies currently have to pay to load, haul, drive and dump construction waste at landfills, Hartell says a huge advantage to her concept is that the demo material will be nearly free to use, at least at first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn our current business model, if we can take the material off their hands for less than they\u2019d pay to dispose of the materials, then they save money and don\u2019t have to deal with it,\u201d said Hartell. \u201cMeeting with various demolition companies, they said they\u2019d be willing to give it away for free or cheap and think it\u2019s a fantastic idea.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said that would help immensely with the initial costs of processing and creating a new material at a low cost, but if her initiatives are successful, she said demolition companies would almost inevitably opt to charge for the debris. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere always has to be someone out of the gate. First there was Netflix and now there\u2019s everybody else,\u201d she said. \u201cBut if you\u2019re suddenly bringing value to waste, that\u2019s a good thing. It means you\u2019re disrupting the current disposal cycle and there are going to be fewer people sending things to landfill if that waste can be reused.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hartell says she\u2019ll start showing the public and industry that this unconventional material can be used, while strategizing to create a business model over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe goal is to bring the cost at least to parity with new aggregate,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need to push the construction industry more towards concepts of sustainability.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From Scrap to Shelves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Funded by several grants from the National Science Foundation\u2019s I-Corps program, VentureWell, and private entities, Hartell hopes to progress from their current research to prototyping, scaling, and implementation within the next decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are hoping to be able to increase the proof of concept to viable product in the following two to three years,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd, and then with that, in the next phases of development, to have an implementable product\/process in about a five to ten-year range.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Buildings that face demolition could soon be transformed into a new type of concrete that would be used to create new structures, an approach that reduces landfill waste and creates jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":13800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[61,87,63],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n