New plant is processing 1,000 tonnes per day
Established in 2002, Bedrock Plant Hire Ltd originally specialised in plant hire for a range of customers in construction and utilities across Scotland’s central belt.
Sustained business growth led to the requirement for a landfill site with screening and crushing operations. Due to capacity and a drive to enhance their sustainability, Bedrock engaged with industry experts CDE to install a construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste recycling plant at its Glasgow site, which created further opportunities for the company within the recycled aggregates market.
Expanding upon the services offered by the family-run business, Bedrock wanted to build upon its strong working relationships with some of Scotland’s premier companies and offer a one-stop shop for plant hire and aggregate recycling.
CD&E waste is in abundance in Glasgow as the city is regenerated, with new commercial and residential developments replacing older projects, meaning the demand for recycled aggregates has increased significantly.
In late 2021, the eyes of the world were on Glasgow as 15,000 people and world leaders descended to partake in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), tasked to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
It was during this global summit the installation of the CDE plant in Polmadie was nearing completion.
Thirty minutes from the important discussions taking place in the SEC Centre in Glasgow, Bedrock Plant Hire was doing its part to move towards a more sustainable future, a circular driven economy and the protection of virgin materials.
Investing with confidence
The project was Bedrock’s first in partnership with CDE, and its first venture into wet processing. Previously, with dry processing operations, the company was crushing and screening to produce only a low-value fill, restricting its ability to market quality recycled aggregates and minimise its environmental footprint.
The team at Bedrock reached out to CDE due to the company’s strong reputation in Scotland – particularly within the central belt – for its technical expertise, customer relations and results-driven solutions. Accompanied by CDE business development manager Garry Stewart, Bedrock representatives visited several CDE reference sites in the local market, including Brewsters and Brocklebank. Here, the Bedrock team had the opportunity to hear first-hand experiences from existing customers operating CDE technology which proved highly influential and reinforced Bedrock’s decision to partner with CDE.
Carbon footprint reduction
The 80tph CD&E waste recycling facility delivered by CDE consists of an R1500 primary scalping screen, AggMaxTM 83SR logwasher, a dual pass EvoWashTM sand washing fine material classification plant and AquaCycleTM A400 thickener with Flocstation.
It was developed with the intention of reducing the volume of waste destined for landfill, turning it and other low-value material into profitable, saleable recycled aggregates.
The R-Series allows for a constant, even flow of material to be delivered to the integrated screen before being sent for additional screening, washing and sizing. The pioneering AggMaxTM modular logwasher incorporates aggressive attrition of conglomerates to release sands through scrubbing and organics removal, as well as recovering fines and removing filtrates.
CDE’s dual pass EvoWashTM employs tried and tested modular hydrocyclone technology, offering unparalleled control of silt cut points with two washes. It enables Bedrock to produce a much cleaner, in-spec product and guarantees a fast return on investment within Glasgow’s construction industry. Meanwhile, the AquaCycleTM high-rate thickener recycles up to 90% of the process water for immediate re-use.
Garry Stewart says: “Reducing Bedrock’s environmental footprint was a driving force in the decision to invest in a CDE waste recycling plant. The Bedrock team were conscious of the tricky materials to be processed and had full confidence in the capabilities of our technology due to our commitment to engineering excellence and our comprehensive analysis of their raw feed, the results of which informed the development of the plant.”
Processing 1,000 tonnes per day
Proven solutions from CDE provide maximum recycling potential and full water treatment, achieving considerable reduction in waste-to-landfill volumes. Indeed, since commissioning, the plant has led to a decrease in the quantity going to landfill by 70-80% as 1,000 tonnes have been processed per day, creating 700 tonnes of saleable material.
The investment has also opened new revenue streams for Bedrock through the outputs generated, with eight variations of high-quality recycled aggregates being produced for sale and use in the construction industry. They include 0-2mm, 4-10mm and 40-100mm rinsed oversize.
Bedrock is also delivering drainage stone (10-20mm) to the construction sector, as well as pit and utility sands for concrete. The aggregates will also be used for cable bedding and pipe bedding.
The site at Polmadie is very compact and situated in a highly industrialised area in close proximity to large residential neighbourhoods. Due to its urban setting and limited site footprint, Bedrock required a closed-loop system capable of recycling the process water and eliminating the need for settlement ponds.
CDE’s water management expertise, realised through the combination of a A400 AquaCycle coupled with a P15 filter press ensured Bedrock’s vision was feasible.
With the plant processing 1000 tonnes per day, the filter press deals with approximately 20-30 tonnes per hour of sludge to produce a dry cake from the silt and clay generated from the washing process. This cake product is used as a capping material for Bedrock’s own landfill while the company investigates other uses for the material to bring it back into the circular economy.
“We wish we had been able to do this 10 years ago”
The company has its sights set on the future with plans to increase capacity, as Joe McHugh, director of Bedrock Plant Hire Ltd explains.
“We wish we had been able to do this ten years ago. The technology has changed remarkably in that time and CDE is at the top of its game when it comes to wet processing and waste recycling. We really see these areas as a defining part of Bedrock’s future.
“Our experience with CDE has been extremely positive. We visited other reference sites and hearing the endorsements first-hand from existing and satisfied CDE customers was reassuring that we were indeed making the right decision on such a significant investment.
“The team were always managing our expectations while sharing our vision. We found them easy to work with and the bespoke, compact structure of the plant is first class and unique to our requirements. We have hopes for the future that this will only be the first plant we collaborate with CDE on, especially with the relationship we are building together.”
Garry Stewart adds: “It has been a pleasure to work with Bedrock, a family business focused on building a sustainable future through strategic investments. It felt particularly poignant as the final stages of our project came at such a significant time for the city of Glasgow, as it played host to global climate summit COP26.
“We are proud to be part of Bedrock’s journey towards a more sustainable business model and look forward to working with its team to strengthen its position within the market in Glasgow.”
For more information about CDE wet processing solutions, visit cdegroup.com.
