Sustainable Aggregates, one of the companies pioneering the use of Structural Material for Reinstatement (SMR), is using a pair of newly acquired Extec machines to meet growing production demands at its new 1.2 hectare recycling facility at Copthorne in Sussex, England, close to Gatwick Airport.   Having proved the viability of the product at its original site in Avonmouth, the new site and the acquisition of the two new Extec units signals a major expansion of Sustainable Aggregates’ operations.
 “At Avonmouth we proved that the SMR product could be produced and that there was a market for it,” says managing director Clive Holloway.   “Up until then, we had acted as a supplier to 14 SMR dealerships before taking the plunge in February and producing the finished product ourselves.”
Holloway reports that the take up of SMR is based almost entirely upon the quality and integrity of the finished product.   “Comparing ordinary Type 1 and SMR is like comparing chalk and cheese,” Holloway continues.   “Our customers have been astounded at the strength of the product.   To ensure that we maintain the quality of the finished product, we must process the waste to the highest possible specifications.   For that, we have to have the right equipment.”
At the heart of the Copthorne operation is the Extec C-10+ mobile crusher and E-7 screen.   Fed by a Komatsu 210LC hydraulic excavator, the C10+ easily copes with the 10-14 daily loads of utility waste, reducing it to the required 50-60 mm grade.   The unit’s grizzly bars remove the majority of the fines while oversized material is removed through a side conveyor for recrushing.  
A proportion of the product from the crusher is stockpiled, as there is a ready market for conventional Type 1 as well as SMR.    However the majority is fed into the E-7 screen by a JCB JS200JC excavator where the fines are removed and the crushed material sorted into products varying between 60 and 10 mm.    The screened material is then loaded into an Achiever mixer and trommel unit, by a Volvo EC240 excavator, where the binding agent is added to produce the SMR product.

Increasing Production
“Although there are only four people on this site, we are very productive as the two Extec machines make light work of the material to be processed.   They have more than proved their productivity,” Holloway continues.    “At present, we are processing about 1,000 tonnes of SMR each week but we hope to produce 4,000 tonnes per week in the near future.   And the Extec machines are more than capable of achieving those levels of throughput”
Holloway admits that he did his homework on crushers and screens before committing to Extec.   “We knew from customers that the C-10+ was an excellent crusher, ideal for construction and demolition (C&D)  waste, and everyone we spoke to liked the E-7 screen.   But there are plenty of good machines on the market,” he explains.   “What really swung it was Extec’s way of doing business without being pushy.   They simply had the best all-round package.”

Looking to the future
With both the Copthorne and Avonmouth facilities established and demand on the rise at both locations, Holloway is looking ahead.   He hopes to have a further four sites operational in the South East by the end of the year, and by 2010, there should be 24 sites working nationally.   The idea behind these small local sites is to process locally, providing a product customised for individual clients, but without the vehicle movements required to move the product from large national depots. 
“We already have top-quality BSEN specifications and have applied for our CE mark.   In my opinion, SMR products are the best way to reclaim and recover 100 per cent of C&D waste.   This is compared with the 40 to 60 per cent achieved by conventional methods,” Clive Holloway concludes.   “The savings are enormous for the customer and they are an obvious way of avoiding landfill taxes and reducing their carbon footprint. Once the sites are running to speed they should produce a product that is cost neutral and the productivity of the two Extec machines will help achieve that.”