Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

INVESTIGATION OF USABILITY OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE MATERIALS IN HOT-MIX ASPHALT

Afshin Tavasoli Farsheh, Hassan Ziari and Saeed Fatemi

Abstract

Nowadays increasing population and the large number of migration toward big cities has lead to construction industry becoming one of the most important activities. Construction, renovation and demolition activities generate significant amount of solid waste which are mainly dumped as disposal material in the available Land-Fill sites. Using construction and demolition (C&D) waste as aggregate in Hot-mix Asphalt (HMA) would be a safe and economic way to dispose these kinds of waste materials. Since the massive amount of C&D waste generated has become a chronic dilemma in many developing countries, Reusing C&D waste aggregates in place of natural aggregates can be a good idea in terms of costs and environmental considerations. In this investigation, 15, 30 and 45 percent of C&D waste was added to HMA by weight of total aggregates. Samples made with natural aggregates were used as control specimens. Specimens were produced and tested under Marshall Stability Test. According to parameters of Marshall Test, optimum asphalt contents were calculated for specimens containing C&D materials. The mixes made from C&D waste were found to meet specifications of Nation Highway Authority for pavement design of Iran. Based on these results, using C&D waste as aggregate in HMA is recommended.