Conigliaro Industries Home PageRegister

Free QuickQuoteRecycling ServicesIndustry News and ResourcesOur ProductsAbout UsContact Us
Call Us Toll-Free Products from Recycled Materials
Go To
Recycled Content Products
Tumbled Glass Aggregates
Plas-Crete Wall Blocks

Evolution of Plas-Crete

Force Protection Blocks

Designer Finishes

Seawalls

Photo Gallery
Mixed Plastics Grind as Fuel Alternative
PolyCorn Packaging Peanuts
Boston’s Best Patch
Computer Recycling Initiative
Landscaping Mulch
Search Site

Evolution of Plas-Crete Building Blocks

Statement of the Problem
Problem 1. Approximately 100,000 tons of waste No. 3-7 plastic is generated annually in Massachusetts, posing a significant problem to the state's objective of a 70% recycling rate by the year 2010. Unless beneficially used, this material, which amounts to approximately 2 million cubic yards of ground plastic, will be subject to costly disposal in already overburdened landfills each year.

Problem 2. Standard Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) products such as retaining walls, wall blocks, traffic diversion barriers and parking stops ( jersey barriers) are heavy and must be handled with heavy equipment during construction and placement. The additional manpower and heavy equipment required for placement of PCC products increases labor and transportation costs significantly over Plas-Crete Blocks.

Conigliaro Industries recognized both these problems and the opportunity they presented to create a new business. Utilizing state funded grant money; Conigliaro Industries began investigating the production of the same PCC products, using waste plastic as a substitute for the comparatively heavy virgin stone. They envisioned PCC products serving the same uses, only making them lighter and easier to handle. The No. 3-7 mixed plastics used to substitute the virgin stone comes primarily from town and city plastic drop-off programs and commercial institutions throughout the Metro Boston area.

Application of Technology
Plas-Crete is a blend of virgin sand, ground No. 3-7 mixed plastic, water and Portland cement. Conigliaro produces Plas-Crete on-site with a Zimmerman 4000 "Ready-Mix" concrete plant. Each ingredient material is placed in a separate feed unit on the plant. The plant is equipped with controls so that each material can be measured producing batches according to specified customer needs, i.e. military revetments requiring varying PSI levels. The materials are blended together by auger, which leads to a mold, where the uncured Plas-Crete is vibrated into place. Plas-Crete is allowed to cure for 12-24 hours prior to removal from the mold and it is ready to be sold.

Conigliaro Industries began marketing Plas-Crete Blocks in the summer of 2000 throughout New England. These blocks are being sold for retaining walls, bin structures, loading docks and salt buildings. Each block sold uses approximately 250 lb of waste plastic aggregate. The company estimates that the sales of Plas-Crete blocks will consume over 8 million pounds of mixed plastic per year. Waste plastic that would otherwise be sent to landfills that are already overburdened.

Key Benefits of Plas-Crete Blocks for Commercial Applications

  • At 1850 lbs, 2'x 2' x 4" Plas-Crete Blocks are strong, heavy and thick enough for most commercial applications, yet light enough to move, handle and assemble quickly.
  • Plas-Crete Blocks are uniform, true-to-size and shape.
  • The "Lego-Like" extrusion and cavity system allows for easy stacking and storage. This same "Lego-Like" system also makes these blocks self-leveling, self-centering and fully nestable.
  • Total weight per block - 1850 lb. half the weight of a standard concrete block of equal size dimensions. PSI rating per block: 1400 to 2000 based on specified needs.
  • The relative light weight of these builder friendly blocks allows a crew of two to place blocks at a rate of 28 blocks per hour using only the blocks inset hook, a chain and either a bobcat, forklift or back hoe.




©1999-2017 Conigliaro Industries, Inc.
701 Waverly Street, Framingham, Massachusetts 01702
(508) 872-9668 | (888) CONIG-25 | (508) 653-6672 fax