Method of recycling construction and demolition debris

• US 5,314,266 A
• Filed: 05/15/1992
• Issued: 05/24/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Recovermat Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Recovermat Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, R. Paul, Price, Michael I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Dennis L.
• Application Number:
  US07/883,354
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 405/128, 405/129, 405/303, 241/DIG. 38, 241/23, 241/24
• US Class Current: 405/129.9
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/065 the refuse being building rubble
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 1/004 Covering of dumping sites
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/00 Reclamation of contaminated soil
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/10 microbiologically, biologically or by using enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 21/00 Apparatus or processes for surface soil stabilisation for road building or like purposes, e.g. mixing local aggregate with binder recycling in place or on the road involving soil stabilisation E01C23/065 ; stabilising soil under existing surfacing E01C23/10; soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising materials C09K17/00; soil consolidation in general E02D3/12
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 3/003 characterised by material or composition used, e.g. waste or recycled material E01C3/006, E01C3/04 and E01C3/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 3/08 by inserting stones or lost bodies, e.g. compaction piles sand drains for soil compaction E02D3/10; stressing soil while forming foundations E02D27/28
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/30 Landfill technologies aiming to mitigate methane emissions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/52 Mechanical processing of waste for the recovery of materials, e.g. crushing, shredding, separation or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/58 Construction or demolition [C&D] waste
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 241/38 Solid waste disposal

Abstract

A method of recycling construction and demolition debris to produce an article suitable as a daily cover for a landfill is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of removing large pieces of metal from the debris, compacting the balance of the debris into small pieces, shredding the debris into smaller particles, separating the ferrous and optionally the non-ferrous metals from the debris utilizing the combination of magnetic, air and/or water separating systems, dewatering the shredded debris to produce a daily cover suitable for use as a daily cover for a landfill.

Claims

1. A method of recycling construction and demolition debris comprising the steps of:

providing a supply of construction and demolition debris;

processing said debris through a shredder;

during the processing of the debris through the shredder adding water to the debris so as to reduce said debris to a moist shredded product; and

applying said moist shredded product to a landfill as daily cover.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said product processing step includes shredding said debris so that the product has an average particle size less than about six inches.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing step includes adding water to said debris so that the product has a moisture content of about 5% to 30% by weight.

4. The method of claim 1, including the step of separating ferrous metal from said debris after processing said debris through said shredder.

5. The method of claim 1, including the step of separating non-ferrous metal from said debris after processing said debris through said shredder.

6. The method of claim 1, including the step of adding ferrous metal items to said debris prior to processing said debris through said shredder.

7. The method of claim 1, including the step of compacting said debris prior to processing the debris through the shredder.