Physical and Mechanical Characterization of Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA) as Compacted Fill in Road Pavement

Abstract

India boasts one of the world’s largest transportation networks. For these infrastructure developments, natural quarried aggregates serve as the primary construction material, but the availability of suitable quality aggregates is becoming scarce. Consequently, it is vital to look for alternative, sustainable materials. On the other hand, large quantities of C&D waste are being generated as solid waste by the construction industry. These wastes can be segregated and recycled and can be used as an alternative geomaterial. Recycle Concrete Aggregates (RCA) are alternate geomaterials that can be reused to replace natural construction materials. In this study, an attempt has been made to study the effectiveness of using RCA as the compacted fill geomaterials. RCA that can be used as alternative geomaterials must be assessed to determine their applicability in pavement foundations. To evaluate the optimum dosage of RCA, various physical, mechanical and performance characteristics like granulometry, Atterberg limits, standard proctor compaction, dry and bulk densities, specific gravity, Los Angeles abrasion, crushing, impact, shear strength, CBR, compressive strength, bearing capacity and Resilient modulus, fatigue characteristics are evaluated. Replacing RCA in the compacted fill of a road pavement not only improves the desired properties but also reduces the environmental impact by reducing the amount of quarrying required (natural material).