About MINRES

The MINRES project has developed a framework to facilitate the use of mineral wastes– such as ashes, sludges, mineral processing residues etc, – in the manufacture of construction products, including bricks, concrete products, aircrete, mineral fibre insulation, cement, plasterboard and manufactured aggregates.  

The project has developed:  

• A GIS system that allows users to search for sources of mineral waste and/or construction manufacturers sites. [insert link here]
• A waste-products pairings database that provides information to assist in the process of waste exchange
• A framework for determining  the fitness-for-purpose of mineral waste materials, (in relation to quality and volume of supply) for construction product manufacture in the seven main target sectors.
• Materials characterisation information on selected wastes
• Five waste-focused sector studies that examine the mineral fibre insulation, manufactured aggregates, cement, concrete and brick and manufacturing sectors.
• Waste/product case studies illustrating the important aspects of the uptake of mineral wastes for fifteen waste/product pairings.
• A review of available processing technologies

Those operating in the mineral material supply, construction product manufacture and construction industries, have varying requirements for the level of detail needed:  

• ‘strategic’ level information for organisations needing generic information to inform planning, policy, strategy and initiatives aimed at stimulating waste utilisation
• ‘implementation’ level information for users needing more detailed fit-for-purpose information about wastes.

The website suits both these perspectives. It also relates material characteristics to process technologies to provide information on the development needed in technology, capacity and research. This Defra funded project has been carried out by project partners The Minerals Industry Research Organisation (MIRO), The Building Research Establishment (BRE), The University of Leeds, Akristos Ltd & the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP)