Types of Concrete Crushers

Because concrete is so widely used in construction projects around the world – thanks chiefly to its strength – what to do with it is always a key consideration when it comes to any eventual demolition. Concrete structures can be found in almost any project, whether it’s a commercial or residential building, but to make light work of demolishing such sturdy components, the industry has developed a number of ways to get the job done.

Concrete crushers are among the most common bits of machinery used in demolition. Each individual project may require a specific type of concrete crusher, but it all depends on the goals and the type of concrete involved.

This month, at Hill Demolition, we’re going to guide you through the three most common concrete crusher types. We’ll look at how they work and where they do their best work before looking at all the benefits.

Jaw crusher

You can probably imagine what this concrete crushing tool looks like just from the name. Think of a jaw crusher as being much like a nutcracker, with two jaws into which the larger chunks of concrete are fed for processing. 

It’s a versatile and hard-wearing piece of machinery, and you can crush a lot of tough concrete with the help of the powered flywheels that operate the jaw. However, the jaw crusher usually only crushes down to a 4” or 6” size, something to consider in terms of what you’d like to do with your crushed concrete afterwards.

Impact crusher

There are technically two types of impact crusher available, but we’re going to set aside the horizontal shaft impactor (HSI) as it’s actually not the most suitable for crushing concrete. Instead, let’s focus on the vertical shaft impactor (VSI). A VSI works by feeding the concrete into the top of a rotary machine where it is then spun against the inner material of the chambers inside at high velocity, breaking the material down into a finer, more consistent concrete particulate.

Cone crusher

Much like the impact crusher, a cone crusher has an open top into which the larger sections of concrete are fed. The difference is that there is a cone inside – hence the name – which means the concrete gets more crushed the further down the side of the cone it gets. It falls and is broken up under pressure against the rotating cone and the inside of the machine, until small enough to pass out the sides, again creating a finer grade of material with consistent sizing.

The benefits of concrete crushing

It’s easy to see why concrete has so many machines dedicated to crushing it, since it’s a great way to help recycle and reuse materials from demolition works. By crushing the concrete down, not only is it easier to manage and transport, but it’s also a great backfill or aggregate if you can achieve a uniform size.

There is no one “best” concrete crusher, since the type of concrete crusher you need will depend on the specifications of the project and density of the material you’re dealing with. Jaw crushers are probably the most common crusher, since they can be used in most situations.

When you need a team of skilled operators to provide concrete crushing in London, Essex, Hertfordshire and across the UK, look no further than Hill Demolition. As part of our dedicated services, we crush concrete from demolition sites in huge quantities to prepare for more efficient recycling, instead of letting useful material go to waste.

Call us today to discuss demolition services and concrete crushing.