Rapid International Ltd
Challenge
Worldwide, concrete waste materials have to be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way generating transportation and disposal costs; government restrictions on movement on certain days/times restricting productivity and planning; and the environment in terms of air and land pollution. Furthermore, wet concrete ultimately sets, often destroying equipment and there is the added disadvantage that it costs more to dispose of solid material. Against this background, the company aimed to design and manufacture the next-generation concrete reclaimer: an environmentally friendly, 'mobile' machine for the on-site separation of waste concrete, incorporating the new patented capability to 100% recycle and reuse all constituent elements on-site.
In this way, the project aimed to address a topical and serious environmental issue currently faced by the global construction industry.
Solution
This KTP project collaborated with Ulster University to develop:
- An innovative concrete reclaimer with industry-leading criteria and performance that puts elements of the design within the demand of the nuclear industry.
- Leading knowledge in relation to the separation of wet concrete into its constituent elements where these elements can be reused or returned safely to the environment.
- New capability in rapid prototyping for new product development.
- A significant increase in turnover through increased product orders for the new Rapid concrete reclaimers.
Company Impact
We designed and developed a highly efficient concrete reclaimer so all materials once separated can be 100% reused and on-site with a high emphasis on innovative technology engineering in the area of recycling.