What is concrete crusher?

Concrete waste at construction sites comes in two forms: 1) excess fresh concrete mix, including residual mix washed from trucks and equipment, and 2) concrete dust and concrete debris resulting from demolition. How to handle the concrete waste? Concrete crushers are an important part of most construction projects and aggregate production operations. They play a vital role in both industries by crushing large chunks of concrete and aggregate into smaller pieces that can be used in other applications.

Concrete crushers can be mobile or stationary, and they come in a variety of sizes. They use mechanical power to break down the concrete. There are different types of crushers, including jaw crushers and impact crushers.

Jaw Crushers

Reason for Suitability: Jaw crushers are well - suited for the initial stage of crushing concrete waste. They have a simple yet robust design, with a fixed jaw and a movable jaw. The movable jaw reciprocates against the fixed jaw to crush the concrete waste. They can handle large chunks of concrete waste that are often produced in demolition sites. Their ability to handle large feed sizes makes them a good choice for the first step in the crushing process.

Crushing Force: Jaw crushers exert a powerful crushing force. They can break down even the toughest concrete waste into smaller pieces. The crushing ratio (the ratio of the size of the feed material to the size of the output material) of jaw crushers can be adjusted to some extent, allowing for effective reduction of the size of the concrete waste. For example, a jaw crusher can reduce large concrete slabs several feet in diameter to pieces that are a few inches in size, which can then be further processed by other crushers.

Reliability: They are relatively reliable and have a long service life. The simple design means that they have fewer parts that can break down compared to more complex crusher types. This is beneficial in a recycling environment where continuous operation is often required to handle large volumes of concrete waste.

Impact Crushers

Reason for Suitability: Impact crushers are excellent for concrete waste recycling. They work by using a high - speed rotor with hammers or blow bars. When concrete waste is fed into the crusher, the hammers strike the material, breaking it into smaller pieces. The impact action is very effective for crushing concrete waste because it can handle a variety of shapes and sizes of waste concrete, including pieces with rebar (though rebar can cause more wear and tear).

Product Shape and Quality: They produce a more cubical - shaped product, which is highly desirable for recycled concrete aggregate. The cubical shape allows for better interlocking of particles when the recycled concrete is used in new concrete mixes or as a base material. For example, in the production of concrete pavers or as a sub - base for roads, the cubical - shaped aggregates from impact crushers provide better load - bearing capacity and stability.

Versatility: Impact crushers can be adjusted to produce different sizes of output. This is crucial in the recycling process as the recycled concrete can be used for various applications depending on its size. For instance, larger - sized recycled concrete can be used as a base for heavy - duty roads, while finer - sized material can be used in the production of concrete blocks.