Concrete retaining walls eventually 100% circular

The pursuit of a 100% circular economy presents challenges, especially in the world of concrete. Current standards justify the use of renewable raw materials to as little as 20% when it comes to structural applications. Nevertheless, Bosch Beton has taken an important step with the realization of a completely new plant that will eventually be capable of 100% circular production of retaining walls.

"We see more and more opportunities for making concrete more sustainable, both in composition and in production," begins Brechtje van den Beuken-van den Bosch of Bosch Beton. "Our new concrete plant in Barneveld has been in operation since June 1 of this year and completely grafted on a sustainable process. Unique by Dutch standards." The energy consumption is compensated with more than 18,000 solar panels on the roof, but also the production water is a closed system. This is collected, filtered and reused. The plant is designed Breeam Outstanding. But the retaining wall producer goes one step further.

High strength concrete

Being able to give a product a second life requires high quality. Bosch Concrete therefore prefers high-strength concrete. "Retaining walls in a C60/75 concrete quality have a very fine pore structure and are more resistant to the penetration of acids, frost and de-icing salts. This may be less of an issue in the Netherlands, but it is an important aspect in neighboring countries. The higher the quality, the longer the product lasts. With a lifespan of fifty to even one hundred years, a retaining wall, for example, can easily be given a second life.

A second advantage of high-strength concrete is that it enables leaner construction up to 40%. The Deutsche Bundesbahn, for example, prescribes a concrete grade of C30/40 with a wall thickness of 25 centimeters to guarantee the intended service life. We manage to guarantee that same service life with a wall only 15 centimeters thick. The initial investment may be higher, but it ultimately yields significant savings."

Geopolymer concrete

In order to eventually achieve a circular economy, Van den Beuken - van den Bosch says, people will have to deal with investments in a different way. "The initial investment should not be leading. Look at it over the long term and grant products a second life. Innovations are going very fast, beautiful developments are taking place. For example, we have high expectations for geopolymer concrete that can eventually replace cement concrete. We also expect a shift to custom-made products, where we also work with residual materials from the client itself. Our new plant is already equipped for this. The road to a 100% circular economy, after all, we will have to walk together with our clients and contractors."   

Bosch Concrete

Big Forest Road 1, 3771 LJ  Barneveld

T 0342 44 1050

E keerwand@boschbeton.com

www.keerwand.nl