Construction waste crushing is a core step in resource recovery, requiring the crushing of mixed concrete blocks, bricks, waste mortar, and other materials to a particle size (mainly 5-31.5mm) that meets the standards for recycled aggregates, while simultaneously achieving preliminary separation of impurities such as metals and lightweight materials. Currently, the mainstream construction waste crushers in the industry include five main categories: jaw crushers, impact crushers, hammer crushers, cone crushers, and mobile crushing plants. Each type of equipment is based on different crushing principles and is adapted to different processing scales, material characteristics, and product requirements. This article will systematically analyze the technical characteristics, application scenarios, core advantages, and combination solutions of various types of equipment, providing a comprehensive reference for construction waste crushing projects.

1. Jaw Crusher: The "First Line of Defense" for Coarse Crushing of Construction Waste

As a traditional crushing equipment, the jaw crusher is the core of the coarse crushing process in construction waste treatment lines. It primarily undertakes the task of "volume reduction crushing," crushing large pieces of construction waste (maximum feed size up to 1500mm) to below 300mm, providing standardized raw materials for subsequent medium and fine crushing processes. It is widely used in construction waste treatment projects of various scales.

Its working principle is "compression crushing": through the periodic opening and closing of the moving and fixed jaws, high-pressure compressive force is applied to the material, causing it to fracture along natural fissures. Targeting the characteristics of construction waste, the jaw crusher's core advantages are threefold: First, it is wear-resistant and impact-resistant. The jaw plates are made of high-manganese steel or wear-resistant alloy, which can withstand the impact and wear of hard materials such as concrete blocks and bricks, with a service life of 6-12 months. Second, it has strong overload resistance. For large impurities mixed in construction waste (such as waste reinforced concrete blocks), the equipment has strong compressive strength and is less prone to jamming and downtime. Third, it is stable and reliable in operation. Its simple structure, few transmission parts, and low failure rate result in a mean time between failures (MTBF) of over 3000 hours.

A typical application scenario is a fixed production line in a large-scale construction waste recycling industrial park. One such park uses a PE-900×1200 jaw crusher, processing 2000 tons of demolition waste daily, crushing large pieces of construction waste (>800mm) to below 250mm, providing uniform feed for the subsequent impact crusher. The coarse crushing efficiency reaches over 85%. It should be noted that jaw crushers produce products with poor particle shape (approximately 15%-20% needle-like and flaky content), and are only suitable for coarse crushing, requiring subsequent shaping equipment.

2. Impact Crusher: The "Main Equipment" for Medium and Fine Crushing and Aggregate Shaping

The impact crusher, based on the core principle of "impact crushing," is the preferred equipment for medium and fine crushing and aggregate shaping of construction waste. It can further crush the coarsely crushed material to recycled aggregate of 5-31.5mm, while improving aggregate particle shape. It is suitable for scenarios with high product quality requirements (such as recycled concrete and permeable brick production).

Its working process is as follows: a high-speed rotating rotor drives a hammer to impact the material. The material is thrown against the impact plate and crushed again, forming a multiple crushing process of "impact-rebound-re-impact," and finally the output particle size is controlled by a screen plate. Its core advantages include: First, a large crushing ratio (up to 10-30), enabling medium and fine crushing operations to be completed in one pass, simplifying the process. For example, when processing concrete blocks smaller than 250mm, it can directly produce recycled coarse aggregate smaller than 20mm. Second, excellent product particle shape; impact crushing causes the material to break along natural fissures, resulting in a high cubic content (needle-like and flaky content <10%), meeting the standard of "Recycled Aggregate for Concrete" (GB/T 25177-2010). Third, strong impurity handling capability; the high-intensity impact of the hammer can separate metal impurities such as reinforcing bars and wires from the aggregate, facilitating subsequent magnetic separation.

In a certain urban renewal project, a PF-1520 impact crusher is used in the supporting crushing line. It processes 800 tons of coarsely crushed construction waste per day, producing 10-20mm recycled aggregate for C30 recycled concrete. Testing shows the aggregate crushing value is ≤12% and the mud content is <1%, fully meeting the project's requirements. Its limitation lies in the rapid wear of the hammer plates when processing high-hardness materials (such as granite crushed stone). High-chromium alloy wear-resistant hammer plates are required, which can extend service life by 30%-50%.

3. Hammer Crusher: An "Economical Choice" for Small and Medium-Sized Projects. Hammer crushers use high-speed rotating hammers to impact and crush materials. With a simple structure and low cost, they are the preferred equipment for small and medium-sized construction waste processing projects (daily processing capacity of 100-500 tons), especially suitable for decentralized construction waste processing scenarios in towns and counties.

Its core advantages lie in its economy and flexibility: First, low equipment investment; for the same processing capacity, the price of a hammer crusher is only 50%-70% of that of an impact crusher, and the procurement cost of a small mobile hammer crushing station can be controlled at 500,000-800,000 yuan. Second, convenient maintenance; core components only include hammers and screen plates, and replacing a set of hammers only takes 2-3 hours, requiring no professional technicians for daily maintenance. Third, integrated crushing; the product particle size (5-30mm) can be directly controlled by changing the screen plate, eliminating the need for additional shaping equipment. For example, when processing rural demolition waste, it can directly produce aggregate for road subbase.

A township construction waste treatment station uses a PCZ-1210 heavy hammer crusher, processing 200 tons of construction waste per day, crushing waste concrete and bricks into 10-20mm recycled aggregate for paving rural road base layers. The processing cost is only 1/3 of the traditional landfill method, saving approximately 5 mu of land resources annually. It should be noted that hammer crushers are not suitable for processing materials with a hardness >150MPa (such as granite and basalt), and the hammers wear out quickly, requiring frequent replacement when processing high-grade concrete.

4. Cone Crusher: "Fine Crushing Equipment" for High-Hardness Materials

Cone crushers utilize the "layered crushing" principle, compressing materials through the relative movement of the moving and fixed cones. They are suitable for processing high-hardness construction waste (such as mixed waste containing granite and basalt), primarily undertaking medium and fine crushing tasks, producing high-precision, high-purity recycled aggregates, suitable for large-scale projects or high-end aggregate production scenarios.

Its core advantages include: First, high crushing efficiency; the layered crushing method fully utilizes the material's own weight and compressive force, reducing crushing energy consumption by 10%-15% compared to impact crushers. Second, uniform product particle size; the discharge port gap can be precisely controlled (error ±0.1mm) through a hydraulic adjustment system, resulting in small aggregate particle size deviation and reasonable gradation. Third, outstanding wear resistance; the crushing chamber uses wear-resistant liners, suitable for long-term processing of high-hardness materials, with a liner service life of 8-12 months.

A large building materials company uses the HST-315 cone crusher to process construction waste containing high-strength concrete, with a daily processing capacity of 1200 tons. The crushing value of the produced 5-25mm recycled aggregate is ≤10%, successfully replacing natural aggregate in the production of precast components. However, its limitations are also quite obvious: high equipment investment (1.5-2 times the price of an impact crusher for the same processing capacity), high maintenance technical requirements, and strict requirements on feed particle size (must be controlled below 300mm). It is more suitable for large-scale construction waste treatment projects, and rarely used in small and medium-sized projects.

5. Mobile Crushing Plant: 

On-site Crushing "Integrated Solution" A mobile crushing plant is not a single type of equipment, but rather integrates core crushing equipment such as jaw crushers, impact crushers, and hammer crushers with feeders, vibrating screens, conveyor belts, and dust removal systems onto a mobile chassis (wheel-driven or tracked). It enables "on-site crushing and on-site utilization" of construction waste, making it an ideal solution to the problems of high transportation costs and significant pollution associated with construction waste.

Based on the different core crushing equipment, mobile crushing plants can be divided into three categories: jaw crushers are suitable for on-site coarse crushing, reducing the volume of large construction waste before transportation; impact crushers are suitable for on-site medium and fine crushing and shaping, directly producing qualified recycled aggregates; and hammer crushers are suitable for small and medium-sized on-site processing projects, offering lower costs. Key advantages include: firstly, high flexibility; tracked mobile plants can adapt to complex terrains such as mountains and mud, while wheeled mobile plants can be quickly moved by road, responding to sudden demolition projects; secondly, good environmental performance, equipped with enclosed enclosures, dust suppression spraying, and noise reduction equipment, with dust emission concentration ≤10mg/m³ and noise ≤85dB(A); and thirdly, integrated operation, combining feeding, crushing, screening, and sorting into one unit, eliminating the need for a fixed production line and allowing operation immediately upon startup.

In a redevelopment project in a provincial capital city, a tracked mobile impact crusher was used, processing 1,000 tons of demolition waste daily. The recycled aggregate produced was directly used for road subbase and foundation backfilling, reducing construction waste transportation by 80% and saving over one million yuan in transportation costs. Its main drawback is the high equipment purchase cost (approximately 1-1.5 million yuan for a small wheeled mobile station and 3-5 million yuan for a large tracked station), but in the long run, the cost can be recouped through savings in transportation expenses.

6. Construction Waste Crusher Combination Schemes and Selection Principles

a. Mainstream Combination Schemes

Large-scale projects (daily processing capacity > 1000 tons): A combination of jaw crusher + impact crusher + vibrating screen is used, balancing processing capacity and product quality. For example, an industrial park using this combination processes 2500 tons of waste per day, with a recycled aggregate qualification rate exceeding 95%.

High-hardness construction waste processing: A combination of jaw crusher + cone crusher + vibrating screen is used to improve wear resistance and crushing efficiency, suitable for mixed waste containing granite and basalt.

Small and medium-sized decentralized projects (daily processing capacity 100-500 tons): A hammer crusher + vibrating screen or a small mobile hammer crushing station is selected to control investment and operating costs.

On-site processing needs: Mobile crushing stations are preferred, with jaw, impact, or hammer crushers selected as the core equipment based on material hardness.

b. Core Selection Principles

Matching Processing Scale: Large-scale projects should prioritize fixed combined production lines, while small- to medium-sized projects or decentralized operations should use mobile crushing plants.

Adapting to Material Characteristics: For processing high-hardness materials, a combination of jaw crusher and cone crusher is preferred; for processing ordinary concrete and bricks, a combination of jaw crusher and impact crusher or hammer crusher is recommended.

Focusing on Product Requirements: For producing high-end recycled aggregates (such as aggregates for recycled concrete), impact crushers or cone crushers are preferred; for producing aggregates for subgrade and backfill, hammer crushers can be used.

Balancing Environmental Protection and Cost: On-site processing projects should prioritize the environmental performance of mobile crushing plants; fixed projects need to balance equipment investment and operating costs.

The selection of construction waste crushers directly impacts processing efficiency, product quality, and return on investment. Different types of equipment are suited to different scenarios: jaw crushers are essential for coarse crushing, impact crushers are the main equipment for medium and fine crushing and shaping, hammer crushers are an economical choice for small and medium-sized projects, cone crushers are fine-tuning equipment for high-hardness materials, and mobile crushing stations offer an integrated solution for on-site processing. With the continued advancement of policies promoting the resource utilization of construction waste, future crushers will develop towards intelligence (remote monitoring, automatic adjustment), environmental friendliness (low emissions, low noise), and large-scale production. The integration and modularization of various types of equipment will also continue to improve, providing stronger technical support for the high-quality development of the construction waste resource utilization industry.