One machine, three possible end products: how Mevaset turns concrete and asphalt waste into saleable material

Mevaset is a demolition company in Tampere, Finland, that also recycles concrete and asphalt waste at its own site. The diesel-electric Lokotrack® LT400RS™ mobile impact crusher gives the team capacity up to 350 t/h and the flexibility to produce several saleable end products in one run with its onboard two-deck product screen.

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Recycling that supports the main business 

Mevaset is a demolition company. Concrete and asphalt recycling runs alongside the demolition work, which means material from a job can be taken to their own site instead of going to landfill. That is the practical side of construction and demolition waste recycling: less hauling, lower disposal costs and material that can be sold on. 

Crushed concrete is a special material to work with. It is very different material from natural rock, as the demolition waste contains steel and light insulation materials that need to be separated from the crushed material. The raw material base is also limited because it is mainly produced during demolition, with smaller amounts coming from side streams in the concrete products industry. When the material does arrive, it pays to process it well. ”Crushed concrete is a funny material because we have a limited raw material base for it, since it can only be produced during demolition,” explains Seppo Uusitalo, project manager at Mevaset.

Multiple end products from one machine

The LT400RS is equipped for concrete waste crushing with a wide feeder and new Nordberg® NP1213MR crusher that can be ordered with one or two breaker plates. Wide conveyors and a large open area under the crusher ensure efficient material flow. A wind sifter separates lightweight material such as plastic, wood and insulation. An adjustable on/off electromagnet lifts out rebar and other steel. Together they help produce clean, saleable material that meets what customers ask for.

At Mevaset, the machine produces three crushed concrete end products — 45 mm, 60 mm and 90 mm — at a capacity of 350 t/h (385 st/h). It also produces 16 mm crushed asphalt at 250 t/h (275 st/h).

The oversize from both screen decks can be returned to the crusher to maximize screening area. This way the top deck works as a “relief deck”, ensuring bottom deck screening load doesn’t get too high, producing accurately sized products without a separate screening unit on site. Second deck oversize can also be taken out with optional onboard foldable side conveyor. Even the return conveyor can turn 90 degrees to produce three products in open circuit.

”Using the screen integrated into the machine, you can produce a range of end products. So you can run multiple processes on a single machine,” explains Seppo Uusitalo.

An electric process on a mobile crusher 

The LT400RS is part of the diesel-electric Lokotrack EC range. All process functions are electric and the machine runs on its onboard diesel genset. An external power connection is available, so the machine can use site electricity when it is available. This helps keep fuel use, emissions and noise down, which matters at recycling sites close to housing and on jobs with strict permit limits. 

This is an electric and extremely efficient machine. It is great to get familiar with new technology.

Seppo Uusitalo, project manager at Mevaset

Material that goes back to work

Crushed concrete and crushed asphalt are used again as materials in excavation and earthworks, which is exactly what recycling contractors are after: waste in, useful product out. For Mevaset, the LT400RS handles crushing, screening and separation on the same site, and trying out new technology is part of the job.