RECYCLED MATERIALS

As the world population grows, so do the amount and type of waste being generated. Many of
the wastes produced today will remain in the environment for hundreds, perhaps thousands,
of years. The creation of nondecaying waste materials, combined with a growing consumer
population, has resulted in a waste disposal crisis. One solution to this crisis lies in recycling
waste into useful products.

Research into new and innovative uses of waste materials is continually advancing. Many
highway agencies, private organizations, and individuals have completed or are in the process
of completing a wide variety of studies and research projects concerning the feasibility,
environmental suitability, and performance of using recycled products in highway
construction. These studies try to match society's need for safe and economic disposal of
waste materials with the highway industry's need for better and more cost-effective
construction materials.

Highway construction is an expensive undertaking because of the high cost of the materials
used. The Federal Highway Administration encourages contractors to use recycled materials
because these materials can cut down on the cost of highway construction. There are various
recycled materials that can be used in highway construction.

Concrete: Concrete removed from demolished buildings is often used as general fill or road
base material in highway construction. When recycled concrete is used as a road base, it is
used to make the foundation for the road pavements. As a general fill, concrete is used as a
soil stabilizer to increase the load -bearing capacity of the soil. Recycled concrete is also used
in sidewalk construction.

Rubber: Recycled rubber is used in several different areas of road construction. Rubber is
used to make the pavement itself, but is also used in asphalt sealants and crack fillers. Rubber
makes a good lightweight fill for embankments because it improves the permeability and
insulating properties of the embankment. In some states, recycled rubber is used in
landscaping wall and in the construction of the road base.

Plastics: Most municipal waste comes from plastic products and much of this recyclable
material can be used in highway construction. Current research on the use of recycled plastics
in highway construction is wide and varied. The use of virgin polyethylene as an additive to
asphaltic concrete is not new; however, two new processes also use recycled plastic as an
asphalt cement additive: NOVOPHALT and Polyphalt. These latter two processes both use
recycled low-density polyethylene resin which is generally obtained from plastic trash and
sandwich bags. The recycled plastic is made into pellets and added to asphalt cement at a rate
of 4 to 7% by weight of binder (0.25% to 0.50% by weight of total mix). Other recycled
plastics can be turned into fill or objects such as landscape fencing, as well.

Blast Furnace Slag: Blast furnace slag is an industrial by-product of iron produced in a blast
furnace. This slag consists primarily of silicates and aluminosilicates of lime and other bases.
In asphalt pavements, it is primarily and successfully used as an aggregate in open-graded
friction courses. Blast furnace slag is used in road construction as an aggregate of road base.
Several agencies have also used air-cooled, non-granulated blast furnace slag as an aggregate
in hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements, as a base or sub-base material, as an embankment
material, and in snow for ice control. Added to cement in granulated form, blast furnace slag
improves quality of cement and increases the friction of the finished road surface. Slag
cement has low heat hydration, good long-term strength gain, and high chemical
resistance. Use of slag cement containing more than 80% granulated blast furnace slag can,
however, increase the time needed to attain design strengthThis slag is also sometimes used
to form road base because it is a hard and durable aggregate. In cold regions, it is used as an
ice control abrasive.

Steel Slag: Steel slag, a by-product of the steel-making process, contains fused mixtures of
oxides and silicates -- primarily calcium, iron, unslaked lime, and magnesium. Steel slag
contains significant quantities of iron; its highly compressed void structure results in a very
dense, hard material. Current research on steel slag in highway construction is focused on its
use as an aggregate in HMA. A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation study found that
bituminous mixtures containing steel slag exhibited high stability, high skid resistance, and
longer heat retention resulting in easier compaction. At this time, however, its use as an
aggregate is not cost-effective given its high asphalt absorption rate.

Conclusion: The problems associated with the environmentally safe and efficient disposal of
waste continue to grow. In many areas, existing landfills are beginning to fill up, and a "not-
in-my-backyard" philosophy has made the establishment of new landfills very difficult. The
cost of disposal continues to increase while the types of wastes accepted at municipal solid
waste landfills is becoming more and more restricted. One answer to all of these problems
lies in the ability of society to develop beneficial uses for these waste products.

The highway construction industry can effectively use large quantities of diverse materials.
The use of waste by-products in lieu of virgin materials for instance, would relieve some of
the burden associated with disposal and may provide an inexpensive and advantageous
construction product. Current research on the beneficial use of waste by-products as highway
construction materials has identified several promising uses for these materials in the united
states. Some of these materials include:

 Blast furnace and steel slags.

 Carpet fibers.
 Coal ash by-products, including fly ash, bottom ash, and FGD waste.
 Glass.
 Municipal solid waste combustion ash.
 Recycled plastic.
 Roofing shingle wastes.
 Rubber tires.

Much of this research has been conducted primarily in the laboratory. The next step will be to
put these ideas into action by initiating a systematic program to determine the viability and
long-term performance of these materials in actual highway construction projects.