Evaluating the usability of recycled aggregates as fill materials depending on the composition and strength of their grains

Abstract

While recycling is a topic of contemporary relevance, there is a scarcity of research on the engineering characteristics of construction and demolition wastes with different levels of grain strength and composition of debris, which impose constraints on their potential for reuse. This study aims to increase the use of recycled aggregates in fillings, addressing a gap in the literature. For this purpose, large-scale direct shear and California bearing ratio tests were conducted on nine diverse recycled aggregates from different construction works. The test outcomes were compared to those obtained from natural aggregates (NA) to draw a meaningful conclusion. The impact of the specimens’ water content and relative density on the findings was discussed. Results demonstrated that the shear strength of recycled aggregates is significantly affected by the compressive strength of the concrete within the recycled aggregates. Besides, increasing the percentage of NA or relative density improved the specimen’s shear strength. On the other hand, it was determined that the high water content of the crushed bricks reduced the fill’s quality. As a result of the study, equations were suggested for use in filling design.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

recycled aggregates / fillings / sustainability / granular soils / large-scale direct shear test

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Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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