An Access data file of the contents of the online technical library.

Used foundry sand is a valuable resource that can be beneficially reused in many ways. If you are not currently reusing it and want to do so, this guide will help you start making changes in the way you view and manage your sand.

Greening the built environment. This information sheet discusses the use of recycled industrial materials in buildings as an alternative to virgin materials and building products. Industrial materials are the byproducts of industrial processes. Each year in the United States, industries produce over half a billion tons of residuals that are potentially usable materials, such as coal combustion products (CCPs), construction and demolition (C&D) materials, spent foundry sand, used tires, and slags.

This report provides technical data regarding the reuse of excess foundry sand. The report addresses three topics: a statistically sound evaluation of the characterization of foundry sand, a laboratory investigation to qualify excess foundry sand as a major component in controlled low-strength material (CLSM), and the identification of the best methods for using foundry sand as a replacement for natural aggregates for construction purposes, specifically in asphalt paving materials.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste (EPA OSW) is currently developing methods to evaluate the environmental, human health, and economic outcomes of specific EPA programs. As an initial step, OSW is examining the extent to which the costs and benefits of source reduction, reuse, and recycling may be quantified for a range of materials targeted by the Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC).One important material targeted by the RCC is foundry sand. Foundry sand is an industrialmaterial generated by the metal-casting industry, which uses the sand to form a physical mold used in the production of metal products. After multiple uses in castings, the sand becomes unsuitable for castings and is either disposed of in landfills or beneficially used in other applications. The most common beneficial use applications of foundry sands include use as road base, structural fill, concrete, asphalt, soil amendments, and landfill daily cover.  This report serves two purposes: (1) To provide an initial assessment of the market dynamics that affect the generation, disposal, recovery, and beneficial use of foundry sand; and (2) to provide a preliminary life cycle analysis of beneficial impacts of foundry sand use, including an initial estimate of the baseline beneficial use impacts of current foundry sand use levels.