Coleman and Company’s “Urban Quarry” - Production of high value products from construction, demolition and excavation waste

Construction Demolition and Excavation Waste (CD&EW)


Washed and graded aggregates. Target of 150,000 tonnes/year.
Puddle clay


2005, ongoing


Great Barr, Birmingham


Every year large amounts of construction, demolition and excavation waste are produced. It has become increasingly difficult to dispose of this waste, due to the development of stricter waste management legislation, and decreasing availability of landfill disposal sites.

Coleman and Company’s quarry is a former foundry in a mixed industrial and residential area of Birmingham. The site was officially opened in May 2005, and recycles construction, demolition and excavation waste to produce high quality recycled sand- and gravel-sized aggregates. The majority of the material is obtained through their other business services, for example, demolition. The site cost a total of £6m to set up, £1.8m of which was the recycling element. WRAP provided £400k of the £1.8m.


The “Urban Quarry” location is well positioned, having access to the city centre nearby and the trunk road network. This situation provides opportunities which Coleman and Company has taken advantage of.

Crushing, Screening and Washing
The site, being in a large conurbation, has a readily available source of CD&E waste physically close, often supplied by Coleman & Co’s other services, such as demolition. This allows for a reliable flow of material into the site.

Carefully selected machinery allows recycling of CD&E waste in the most cost effective manner whilst producing washed and graded recycled aggregates of high quality with as little waste as possible. All water used in the processing is recycled: This reduces the cost of water resources, and produces another saleable product (pudding clay). The use of construction, demolition and excavation wastes also decreases the amount going to landfill for disposal. This reduces the amount of landfill tax and other charges that Coleman & Co would be subject to.

The site uses a Powerscreen Commander 1400 Dry Screen, which screens the input materials. The materials have metal removed by magnet, then pass over a 40 mm top deck screen, and 5 mm piano wires for fines. Any oversize material is crushed by a Tesab RK643 and re-enters the Powerscreen.

Mid-size material (42mm or smaller) is sent to a log washer where it is cleaned, and plastic removed by air knifes. After the materials have been cleaned, waste water is treated with a flocculent, pumped into a Diemme clay press, and then recycled back into the system. This produces puddle clay, which is used in waterproofing applications.

Following the washing process, the material is sent to a static screening unit that allows 3 sizes of aggregates, and sand, to be collected.


All outputs, except puddle clay, consist of recycled construction, demolition and excavation wastes. The puddle clay is a product from the water recycling on site. Material outputs consist of the following:
• Graded aggregate 42 mm, 22 mm & 12 mm Ø
• Washed Sand 0-4 mm Ø
• Puddle clay - found to have permeability of 10-10 m/s making the material suitable for landfill capping (requirement is for permeability of 10-09 m/s).

Quality testing is carried out on a regular basis. Approximately 9,000 - 10,000 tonnes of aggregates & sand are being produced per month.

The location of the site provides an easily accessible industrial and domestic market for the site’s products. In fact, demand is currently outstripping supply. Higher value applications are being investigated for the processed materials including concrete, drainage and as decorative aggregates distributed through garden centers.


The study illustrates how a comprehensive approach to recycling across all aspects of a company’s activities can yield synergies and savings which make the overall recycling package more effective, viable and sustainable.
The position of the “Urban Quarry” is taken advantage of by Coleman and Company, who manages a reliable flow of material into the recycling facilities and effectively uses all resources in order to supply high quality recycled aggregate products to a demanding industrial and domestic market.

The use of construction, demolition and excavation wastes also decreases the amount going to landfill for disposal, therefore reducing the amount of landfill tax and other charges that Coleman and Company would be subject to.

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