WASTEREBUILT – a circular approach to transform waste sand into resource for the built environment
Linking the cast metal industry and concrete production sector to divert waste sand from landfill.
By applying the principles of circular economy, this project demonstrated that waste foundry sand from the cast metal industry could replace up to 100% of the virgin sand currently used to make concrete, whilst retaining excellent mechanical and durability properties.
Working with Weir Group Ltd, the Cast Metal Federation and Dragon Alfa Cement Ltd , this project built on previous pilot studies by the School of Engineering which showed that the use of up to 100% waste foundry sand in cement mortar complied with regulatory standards and that no hazardous elements were leached out at maturity.
WASTEREBUILT attracted further funding for research into industrial scalability of WFS concrete, where PhD student, Joseph Pugh, explored engineering properties and applications under an industrial scholarship alongside Knights Brown, Weir Group plc, and Carbon Upcycling Technologies (Canada).
The WASTEREBUILT team advanced this research in two main ways:
- Improved understanding of the properties of WFS, as well as regional and global variability. Notably, how this compares to conventional fine aggregate in construction and contamination standards context. Identified methodologies for property optimisation including mix design combination and pretreatment.
- Evidenced excellent performance of various types of WFS within concrete, at fine aggregate replacement levels beyond that typically reported, ranging from 30-100% substitution. WFS has been incorporated within industry standard BS 8500 / EC2 mix designs, with mechanical, physical and durability performance critically assessed alongside standardised mixes.
The project has evidenced applicability of WFS concrete to UK industry, and has recently involved design and development of a full-scale site trial to further test the efficacy of the materials produced alongside Knights Brown, and Poundfield Precast Ltd .
WASTEREBUILT was shortlisted as a finalist of the 2024 Sustainable Future Awards (IOM3), and findings have been published in Materials World Magazine.
Next steps
Funding from the EPSRC knowledge exchange and placement scheme with Weir Group plc has further developed commercial, operational and environmental awareness of this technology through close cross-industry collaboration.
Going forward, WASTEREBUILT will engage industry experts from policy and standardisation, cement and concrete manufacturing, civil engineering design and contracting, and foundry and cast metal, to influence policies on building materials’ regulation and design, and advance technology readiness for commercial adoption.
