Stones & Soils
In order for a country's economy to develop and flourish, it must have sufficient non-metal mineral resources, industrial minerals and, especially, stone (e.g., gravel) and soil (e.g., loam, clay, limestone).
For example, construction bricks and roofing tiles are made from clay. In addition, clay and clay minerals are also used in the ceramic, foodstuffs and chemical industries, in landfill construction, etc.
Limestone is considered a universally usable material in environmental protection, e.g., in drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment and waste gas purification, odour control, sewage sludge treatment and neutralisation of acid soil. It is also important to the glass industry as a raw material.
Cement - a mixture of limestone, clay, sand and iron ore - forms the basis for the production of concrete, which is crucial for the construction industry, among others.
Environmental burdens are inevitable in the degradation and processing of raw materials, if only because they are not renewable. Damage can be minimised through resource-efficient extraction, complete extraction and use of the raw materials at the deposit site, use of raw materials at the highest possible processing level as well as extensive utilisation of the accompanying raw materials and the residue.
There are even toeholds in the processing industry, because energy costs make up a significant part of the production costs and various air pollutants are emitted.
The CPG database contains various solution approaches in this category: some examples from the waste site decontamination area, but mainly project examples of integrated environmental protection measures in the ceramic, glass, cement and concrete industry. As usual, the focus remains on energy efficiency, waste gas purification and utilisation options for various types of waste.
German Building Materials Association (BBS)