Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Background
Whenever there is any construction or demolition activity taking place, such as, building
roads, bridges, flyover, subway, remodeling etc, construction and demolition waste is
generated. This waste consists of mostly non-biodegradable and inert material like
concrete, plaster, wood, metal, plastics etc.

C&D waste is often bulky, heavy, having high density, and occupies a large storage space
either on the sides of road or communal waste bin/container. It is very common to see
huge piles of such waste stacked on roads especially in large projects, resulting in traffic
congestion and disruption. Waste produced from small generators such as during
construction or demolition of individual houses often find its way into the adjacent
municipal waste storage facility, there-by putting large pressure on the municipal waste
treatment units and thus reducing the quality and efficiency of treatment plant. Often this
waste finds its way into surface drains and hence choking them. C&D waste forms about
10-20 % of the municipal solid waste (excluding large construction projects).
According to an estimate, in India, the construction sector generates around 10-12 million
tons of this waste every year. Estimates for pavement material requirement of the road
sector already indicate a shortage of 750 million m3 aggregates. Thus recycling of
construction and demolition waste aggregates may diminish the demand of mineral
(virgin) aggregates in road sector.

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Currently in India, the concrete and masonry waste constituting more than 50% of the
total construction and demolition waste, is not being recycled. However there are many
countries like USA, Germany, England, France, Japan and Denmark where recycling of
this waste is being done. Recycled aggregates can be obtained by sorting, breaking and
grading of this waste. These recycled aggregates can be utilized to form concrete for
pavement construction and building material. Research has been already done to find out
the methods for recycling of these aggregates at Central Road Research Institute (CRRI),
New Delhi and Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee.
The study report focuses on the significance of recycling construction waste, creating
awareness among people about the problems associated with the disposal of this waste, its
management and the methods available for recycling. According to the survey reports of
Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) of India, 70% of
the people involved in the construction sector do not know about the recycling
techniques. Work carried out in this study is to evaluate the feasibility of using this waste
in partial replacement of mineral aggregates to form wearing courses for medium volume
paved roads.

1.1.1 Characteristics of C&D Waste

Due to the utilization of many types of materials being used in construction industry, this
waste is very complex in nature, but in general consists of the following materials:

Major components
Concrete
Tiles and ceramic products
Bricks
Cement plaster
Steel (from RCC, door or window frames, roofing support etc.)
Stone ( marble, sandstone, granite)
Timber/wood

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Minor components
Conduits
Pipes (Galvanized iron GI, plastic, iron)
Electrical fixtures (copper/aluminum wiring, wooden board, plastic switches)
Panels
Others (glazed tiles, glass panes)

As from above it is clear that C&D waste is very complex in composition however in a
particular place we can assess the composition of this waste from the type of structure
being constructed or demolished. For example, at sites where bridges or flyovers are
being built or demolished the waste will primarily consist of concrete and steel. However,
on the other hand, in case of residential buildings composition of this waste will be
somewhat different, consisting of concrete, steel, wood, tiles, plastics etc. The
composition of C&D waste in India as given by Prof. S.K. Bhattacharyya et al. [1] in their
research is shown below. It is clear from the chart below that concrete, bricks and tiles
constitute about 90% of the total C&D waste.

1%
2% 2%

5%
Concrete

Bricks & Tiles

Wood
25%
Metals

Others
65%
Plastic

Graph 1.1 Composition of C&D Waste in India

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1.2 Problem Statement
Due to rapid urbanization, the quantity of construction and demolition waste is also
increasing day by day. As already discussed, it has been estimated that the construction
sector in India generates around 10-12 million tons of construction and demolition (C&D)
waste annually while efforts made to reduce the generation, management and utilization
of this waste are very little. This has encouraged private contractors to use unscientific
dumping methods there-by decreasing the scanty urban land and also reducing landfill
area.

1.2.1 Difficulties in disposal of C&D waste

In most cities, there is no permanent site for C&D waste collection.
Many times, C&D waste is dumped on open roads and outside sites.
The waste generates huge air pollution and also makes the areas dirty.
The disposal area becomes a garbage dump within a few days.
Dumping of C&D waste into canals and choking them.
C&D waste left along the sides of road results in congestion.
Waste material is not cleared for days causing problems for neighbors.
These materials are carried in open vehicles which drops debris on the way.
This waste leads to collection of water during rains.
Local bodies do not give much attention in this matter even after complaints.

1.2.2 Causes Identified

This has never been an area of priority for the government.
Municipal departments do not pay much attention.
There is no strict law against disposing C&D waste.
No strict rule for vehicles carrying the C&D waste.
People do not know recycling techniques.
There is no fine for wrongdoer.
People caught disposing construction waste are allowed to escape easily.
There is no helpline number to file complaint against the disposal of waste.

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 Working authorities are mostly corrupted.
Lack of awareness among people about recycling techniques of this waste.
Clear C&D waste disposal guidelines not issued to builders by municipalities.

1.3 Research Objectives

Present study is particularly designed to understand the possibility of usage of C&D
waste aggregates in flexible pavements.
The main objectives of this study are:

1. To determine various physical properties of mineral aggregates in combination

with C&D waste aggregates.
2. To prepare Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) with different proportions of C&D waste
aggregates under controlled temperature and compaction conditions and to
perform Marshall stability and flow test on the prepared samples.
3. To evaluate the feasibility of using C&D waste aggregates at various replacements
of mineral aggregates, to create HMA that can be used as wearing course for
medium volume (urban) asphalt roads.

1.4 Research Scope

Although there are so many studies related to the use of CDW aggregates in
asphalt concrete for pavement, these studies concentrate on different aspects that should
be further assessed to form a better understanding of the behavior of these materials and
formulate generalized conclusions.
The aim of this research work is to assess the possibility of using CDW aggregates
in place of mineral (virgin) aggregates in percentages of up to 30% to create hot asphalt
mixes that can be used to construct wearing courses for medium volume (urban) paved
roads. In this way, an alternative method to mitigate the environmental problems due to
inadequate management and use of CDW is investigated.

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1.5 Thesis Outline
This thesis has been organized in 5 Chapters: Introduction, Literature review, Materials
used and Experimental program, Results and discussions, and Conclusions.

Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter gives an introduction of the Construction and Demolition waste, its
characteristics and composition of this waste in India. Further, the problem statement,
research objectives and scope are stated.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

This chapter gives a brief review of relevant literature on the work carried out by different
investigators. It deals with previous research done on construction and demolition waste
aggregates in different layers of the pavement and for making hydraulic concrete. The
chapter states some important observations out of the literature review.

Chapter 3: Materials and Experimental Program

This chapter includes the brief methodology, physical and chemical properties of the
materials used in the study like fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, CDW aggregates and
bitumen are discussed. Also the experimental program which includes the brief
explanation of various tests performed on the aggregates and hot mix asphalt (HMA) are
also described.

Chapter 4: Results and Discussions

This chapter deals with the results obtained by performing tests on the aggregates and hot
mix asphalt (HMA) samples. Also discussions have been done by comparing the results
of samples with different C&D waste proportions.

Chapter 5: Conclusions
The influence of using C&D waste aggregates in different proportions on Marshall
stability and flow values is studied in this chapter. In addition the scope for future studies
is also described in this chapter.