Laboratory assessment of recycled construction and demolition waste for transport infrastructure applications

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Nowadays, topics related to recycling and reuse of waste materials, particularly those generated by the construction industry (i.e. construction and demolition waste, CDW) are often addressed. The overall aim is to protect the environment by reducing the detrimental impacts of waste disposal to landfill, while also preventing natural resource depletion. In the context of CDW management, an alternative that arises is the reuse of this waste material as recycled aggregate for transport infrastructure applications. The use of recycled CDW in road and railway construction can be considered as one of the simplest and most economical ways of employing this recycled material. However, the substitution of natural aggregates with recycled CDW is generally subject to the verification of a series of requirements, as well as to a tighter control of the characteristics of the product. This paper presents the laboratory assessment of a commercially available recycled CDW to be used as a sustainable alternative material in transport infrastructure construction. The classification of the constituents of this recycled CDW and the determination of relevant physical, mechanical and chemical properties were carried out in accordance with the applicable European Standards. The laboratory results indicate that this particular recycled CDW meets the performance recommendations of Portuguese specifications for application in embankments of transport infrastructure, as well as subbase layers of rural and forest roads. The use of recycled CDW in lieu of natural quarry products in the aforementioned applications would represent a valuable contribution towards the implementation of circular economy in the construction sector.

9th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics (ICEG2023)

Waste Reuse and Recycling