We are FCC - Nº6

I N N O V A T I O N 31 I N N O V A T I O N FCC Construcción, in collaboration with the Eurecat Technology Cen- tre, has obtained R+D+i funding from the Catalan Waste Agency to carry out a research project on plastics recycling called “genera- ting a new product with high ad- ded value”. The project has been registered under the name “RE- FORM2-plastic recycling for the REFORMulation of Concrete”. In the construction of civil and re- sidential works, plastic waste is generated (material packaging, containers, plastic bags, etc.). The objective is to recycle and create value by generating a product with added value that minimizes the en- vironmental impact. Most of these plastics are polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). According to the report Plastic Waste from the Catalan Plastic Centre, the construction sector re- cycles only 1% of the plastics gene- rated by its activity. The aim of this project is to demonstrate that in this sector it is possible to research and develop new products that incorpo- rate this waste into their process, in order to provide them with added value and thus increase the recy- cling rate of materials in the cons- truction sector. The project is based on research into the treatment of this plastic waste in order to include it in the concrete formulations with the aggregate and to generate light concrete with fireproof properties. It will therefore be necessary to analyse and evaluate the interac- tion of plastic waste with fine ag- gregate so as to ensure that when the temperature rises as a result of a fire, the concrete developed prevents the spread of the fire and, consequently, its effects on people and property. The REFORM2 project will analyse all the plastic waste generated at a construction site and will select the most suitable ones to be included in the aggregate mix of fireproof con- crete. For developin this new plas- tic from waste, FCC Construcción is working in collaboration with Eurecat, which has a pilot extru- sion-compounding plant where the different thermoplastic compounds will be manufactured with the same physical-chemical properties as the rest of the aggregates in the concrete, allowing homogeneous mixing and optimum quality of the concrete once it has set. FCC develops a project to recycle plastics: an opportunity for construction With the results of this project, a new product will be developed for the construction market, obtaining a new fireproof concrete whose composition contains this recycled plastic mixed with a fine aggregate, which will make it possible to achie- ve a lighter material and a reduc- tion in the raw material used, taking advantage of the waste from the works. This is a further step on the path of the circular economy, hel- ping to transform construction into an increasingly sustainable activity. The project has been registered under the name “REFORM2-plastic recycling for the REFORMulation of Concrete”.