Concrete salvage? You may be wondering just how this really solid and very heavy material can be salvaged. Into what could you possibly turn the salvaged concrete? The answers may surprise you.

Ground and Powdered

Concrete is essentially a mixture of powdered stone and water. Ergo, taking salvaged concrete and grinding it up into a fine powder helps the concrete salvage yards recycle this material into a reusable material. The ground and powdered concrete is then reused to make more "fresh" concrete for other construction projects. It is combined with some fresh concrete powder in various percentages to formulate more ready-to-use concrete.

Recycled Slabs

Salvaged concrete in the form of unbroken and undamaged slabs may also be recycled for use in construction of slab foundations, slab driveways, and sidewalks. If it is reinforced with rebar, then it is set aside for special projects that require stronger slabs of concrete. These salvaged slabs of concrete are often stacked in small piles in the concrete salvage yard and sorted by grade and type so that construction workers and DIY homeowners can find what they need quickly and load it into their vehicles.

Removing Stones

For chunks of concrete that may not work as something else, these may be broken down chemically to remove many of the larger pieces of gravel and stone that were originally mixed into the concrete to give it body. This "harvested" gravel is then reused for everything from mixing new concrete to acting as layers of landscaping gravel. If the chunks of concrete are small enough, removing the gravel may be done by hand, but this is a rather tedious process and therefore may be avoided by some concrete salvage yards.

Unloading Your Used Concrete

If you have some used concrete and you want to get rid of it, look around your area for a concrete salvage yard. If there is not a concrete salvage yard near you, call concrete contractors to see if they are interested in either picking up the concrete or buying it from you. Some may buy it from you, but charge a fee for picking it up, while other concrete contractors may only pick it up without paying or not take the used concrete at all. You may decide to keep it after all and reserve it for other projects that you have in mind for the future. Otherwise, you may have to travel long-distance to unload your used concrete.

For more information, contact companies like Alliance Demolition Services Inc.