The trend for recycling of municipal refuse in the UK has led to the construction of a significant number of new domestic waste transfer facilities. In many of these facilities the domestic waste is tipped directly on to concrete floors from refuse collection vehicles and then handled by loading shovels. It has been observed that some of these concrete floors have experienced extremely high levels of abrasion resulting in a rapid surface loss. Wear rates in excess of 25mm in one year have been reported. Floors experience lower levels of abrasion where waste is tipped directly into a waste bunker and is then handled by grab crane.

Our Concrete Advice sheet highlights issues with the former situation