The wash water left behind after cement work and water cleaning of the equipment’s, is known as concrete washout water. It's crucial to adhere to the right processes and practices in order to reduce or completely stop the discharge of concrete waste materials, into storm drains.
This wash water is extremely acidic and caustic due to the presence of hazardous metals, and a pH level close to 12.
How to manage wastewater in concrete production facilities?
Wastewater recycling, treatment, and disposal
It is feasible to put the equipment through a system of weirs or filters, to eliminate contaminated solids before using it to wash down further pieces of equipment.
Sand and small grit are divided into the good and poor in the middle step. The third and last stage comprises several filtering tablets. The pH is decreased while the fines are eliminated. After being filtered and released through a filter sock, the filtered wastewater is pumped back into the system.
Recycling of concrete that has hardened
After the wash water in a concrete washout container on a construction site, has been removed or allowed to evaporate, the hardened concrete that is left can be crushed and utilized as a building material.
It makes excellent road base material and can also be delivered to a recycler, or used as fill on the job site. Concrete recyclers can be found in municipal solid waste disposal facilities, commercial recycling operations, and massive construction sites.
Solid waste recycling
Coarse aggregate materials that have been removed from concrete truck chutes, and dumped in a washout container can either be screened or utilized again, on the construction site, or they can be taken back to the ready mixed facility and deposited in reclaimer after being cleaned there.
When washed out into a reclaimer, the fine and coarse aggregates are sorted and placed in different piles or bins, to be reused in the creation of new concrete. Reclaimer with settling tanks separate wastewater from cement fines.
Benefits
Using a screw separator or a dewatering screen, you can separate the cement residue from the water in Concrete Water Recycling. The filter press is used to squeeze the leftover slurry.
1. This allows for an 85% volume reduction for simpler disposal.
2. Dry sludge reduction of up to 85% eliminates the need for disposal.
3. Reusing water.
4. Reusing concrete materials.
5. Fully automated; no operators required.
6. Flexibility that makes it possible to put the plant anywhere, and without the need for an expensive base.
Conclusion
The drum, chutes, and hoppers of the concrete truck, as well as wheelbarrows and hand tools, are among the things that are frequently washed after cement work is over. In order to prevent local waterways from becoming contaminated, slurry of water and concrete washout water must be carefully disposed of.
For long-term construction and efficient waste management, safe concrete washout is essential. Concrete washout water is extremely toxic to plants and ecosystems, killing fish and other aquatic life, and has a high alkaline concentration (pH 11–13).
If concrete wash water is not adequately managed, it is not only bad for the environment but also expensive to fix.
How can we assist?
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