Recycled Crushed Rock Melbourne Price

Beyond the Price Tag: Demystifying Recycled Crushed Rock in Melbourne

The relentless pulse of Melbourne’s construction and infrastructure development demands vast quantities of aggregate materials. Among these, Recycled Crushed Rock (RCR) has surged from a niche environmental solution to a mainstream, cost-effective, and highly regulated building block. Yet, the seemingly simple question – “What is the price of Recycled Crushed Rock in Melbourne?” – opens a complex web of variables, market dynamics, and value propositions far beyond a single number. Understanding this complexity is crucial for contractors, developers, landscapers, and project managers aiming to make informed, sustainable, and economical choices.

What Exactly is Recycled Crushed Rock (RCR)?

RCR isn’t merely rubble. It’s a rigorously processed engineered material derived primarily from:

1. Demolition Concrete: The dominant source. Clean concrete from demolished buildings, footpaths, bridge decks, and other structures is carefully sorted.

2. Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP): Milled or ripped-up asphalt road surfaces.
3. Masonry Waste: Bricks, tiles, and blocks (often processed separately or blended).
4. Selected Construction & Demolition (C&D) Waste: After stringent removal of contaminants like wood, metal, plastic, and hazardous materials.

This feedstock undergoes crushing, screening (sorting by size), and often further processing like washing or dust suppression treatment. The result is graded aggregates meeting specific engineering standards (primarily VicRoads specifications in Victoria), categorized similarly to virgin quarried rock:

20mm Class 2/3/4 RCR: The workhorse for road base/sub-base.
20mm Class 4 RCR: Common for general fill and drainage layers.
40mm RCR: Used in deeper fill applications or drainage.
5mm Minus/Fine RCR: Often used as bedding sand substitute or pipe surround.
Dust Suppressed RCR: Treated with water or agents to minimize airborne dust during transport/placement.

The Elusive Price: Why “How Much?” Has No Simple Answer

Asking for the price of RCR in Melbourne is akin to asking the price of “a car.” Numerous factors create significant price variations:

1. Material Grade & Specification:
Higher-spec materials (e.g., VicRoads Class 2 requiring strict