Demolition crews recycle steel during North Dakota bridge project

Steel removed from a bridge demolition project in Minot, North Dakota, is being recycled into materials for new construction, a report by the Minot Daily News says. 

The Broadway Bridge generates about 500 to 600 tons of steel during its ongoing deconstruction, the report says.

The contractor, Lunda Construction, will remove concrete from the rebar before placing it in a 30-cubic-yard container belonging to international steel manufacturer Gerdau at the demolition site. The material is hauled off site to Gerdau’s plant in east Minot, examined to ensure all concrete is removed and cut with a shear into three-foot-long pieces. The rebar is then shipped out to a mill, usually by railroad.

Gerdau’s mill locations, including Selkirk, Manitoba, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Wilton, Iowa, can produce more steel rebar or add alloys to create metals for other products, the report says. Gerdau also sells steel from its mills for new projects.