Pumps for the recycled aggregates market
Atlantic Pumps are a pump company focused on the recycled aggregates industry and in our latest article our Marketing Manager, Bill Noakes looks at the processes and pump types used in the market plus the benefits Atlantic can bring to your company.
Recycled and secondary aggregates are making an increasingly important contribution to the UK construction industry, now making up over 25% of the total market supply of aggregates, up from 10% in 1990. This market share is 3 times the European average, and means the UK has a more sustainable construction industry.
Recycled aggregates are obtained by reprocessing materials that have previously been used in construction, the main source is demolition of existing buildings. Processing can be done on-site or at a central recycling plant. The recycling plant uses a combination of crushers, screens, conveyors, magnets, washing plants and cyclones to produce saleable material out of the raw waste.
End products include:
- Recycled aggregates from 5mm up to 75mm – typically used in drainage
- Ballast – used in concrete mix
- Recycled grit – used in concreting and block paving
- Planing – for sub-base
- Recycled soil – used in parks, open spaces and for planting
- Recycled concrete and tarmac – for the capping layer on roads and for sub-base
- Washed & recycled sharp sand – for general construction
Washing the Aggregate
A vital stage of the recycling process is to remove any unwanted material and produce a clean, graded end product. Large pieces of wood or plastic can be removed before crushing, but the most effective way of cleansing the material is by using water to flush out the rubbish and scrub the aggregate, typically in a wash plant. Water is also used during the grading process to further clean the material. A typical layout of a recycling plant would see two lagoons, one containing clean water that is used to supply the equipment used in all the washing processes. The dirty run-off is then pumped into the second lagoon where the sediment settles, producing clean water that can be fed back into the clean lagoon. An external source of water such as a borehole of watercourse is often used to top-up the lagoons as necessary.
Pumps used on Aggregate Recycling Plants
Clean water feeding from the lagoon is pumped using a standard centrifugal or submersible water pump. Water from external sources can be pumped in using a submersible pump or borehole pump. More challenging is pumping this water round the plant when it contains the washed sediment, often aggressive and abrasive material such as sand, silt and stone. This is where specialist slurry pumps are used, with quality wear parts designed to resist abrasive materials, and tolerances built in to allow for suspended solids as well as water. Pumps specifically designed for pumping slurry are a wise investment for use on the wash plant and pumping away the waste water as they will perform better and last much longer than standard pumps in this environment.
Nathan Rowles, Sales Coordinator - Atlantic Pumps, commented, “Aggregate separating and washing plants are a critical part of producing quality recycled aggregates and sand, and slurry pumps are a critical part of that process. Any pump downtime means plant shutdown and hence reduced production. Our SlurryPro pumps are interchangeable with the Warman pumps that are on many washing plants. We’ve been working for years to increase the lifetime of slurry pump wear parts and now can confidently say we are outlasting our competitions parts by up to 25%. We also understand how rapid lead times on pumps and spares is essential to you. That’s why we hold stock of all wear parts and pumps on the shelf for market leading delivery times.”
Atlantic Pumps – Focusing on the Industry, Passionate about Service
Atlantic Pumps are a pump company that is focused on the aggregates industry, specialising in slurry pumps for abrasive applications. We are committed to exceptional customer service and rapid response times to any enquiry. We understand how important it is for you to have correctly specified pumps and speedy delivery. We can supply all types of pumps used in aggregate recycling plants, parts for your existing pumps and offer servicing on-demand or scheduled.
We offer a no-obligation site survey to assess your requirements and advise on solutions to help you save money and increase the efficiency of your plant.