Reuse of demolition and construction waste in road infrastructure

Abstract

The new challenges in road engineer are closely linked to the optimization and saving of material resources. The correct reuse of residues is going to leads us to achieve a sustainable construction. The construction and demolition wastes (RDC) are materials that have the potential to be recycled as construction materials, mainly in road infrastructure. The RDC are a set of fragments or residues of material from any civil work, mainly composed form concrete, mortar, brick, stone and earth, among other things. The RDC have proved been well-graded aggregate materials, easy to handle and compact; have a high resistance to wear and abrasion, with a high modulus and a low permanent deformation. However, by making use of these materials we have to determine additional aspects to those already considered for the new material. Thus, the fact of using RDC should never compromise the quality and safety of a road project. Among the key aspects to consider, there are the geotechnical and environmental assessments. In the reutilization of RDC, we must consider the interactions they could have with the environment (transfer of pollutants by rainwater infiltration, deformations due to weather or traffic, etc.) and evaluate their potential to solubilize or react with any component in the material. A couple of projects have been successfully done in our country with these materials, mainly used in hydraulic bases or as restorative material, however, this cases just reflect a thousandth part of the number of projects in which the RDC can be part for achieve reduce the use of new materials.