ReGlass Concrete Footpath Trial
Glass items popped into kerbside recycling bins have quite literally become the foundation for development in Cairns, staff from Cairns Regional Council have commenced field trials using recycled crushed glass (known as ‘ReGlass’) for non-structural concrete projects in the Cairns Region.
The first local ‘trial pour’ taking place in January for a concrete pedestrian footpath located in front of a local Southside school. The trial involved using ReGlass sourced from Council’s Materials Recovery Facility in Portsmith as a replacement for virgin sand material in non-structural concrete projects.
The Council crew involved in the project had previous experience working with the same ReGlass product at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre construction, where more than 1000 tonnes of the product was mixed with sand and used as a backfill site stabilizing material.
Mahana Tai, supervisor of the CRC Materials Recovery Facility was thrilled to see the ReGlass product he and his staff create each day, being put to use in such a beneficial way right here in Cairns. “ I really feel so reinvigorated, seeing the pour take place and hearing the great feedback from the crew, knowing that our efforts and hard work at the MRF each day is really helping to reduce landfill and make better use of this material locally”.
Mahana went on to say “I’m sure the Cairns community will be as pleased as we all were today, knowing they we’re walking on glass containers they have placed in their yellow top kerbside recycle bins and this type of material has an opportunity to be reused”.
Getting a feel of the first batch
As the concrete is poured, the concrete is levelled and screed by the hardworking concreters
A retardant is sprayed to slow down the hardening of the concrete
Like magic, the bull float brings the concrete cream to the top creating the smooth surface
6m3 of ReGlass concrete is worked into 30 metres of footpath in about 30 minutes