PSI - Issue 64

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Rahma Dhemaied/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000 – 000

Rahma Dhemaied et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 64 (2024) 343–351

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1. Introduction The construction and maintenance of transportation infrastructure, particularly pavements, is a resource-intensive process that significantly impacts the environment. The heavy reliance on non-renewable natural aggregates, energy intensive production methods, and generation of construction and demolition waste have heightened the need for sustainable alternatives. Recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) have emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges in pavement construction. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the use of RCA in pavement applications, highlighting the technical, economic, and environmental benefits, as well as the social implications. By synthesizing the latest research and case studies, this paper aims to demonstrate the viability and potential of RCA as a sustainable material for the transportation infrastructure sector. 2. Importance of recycled concrete aggregates in pavements The rising awareness for sustainability in pavement construction stems from increasing concerns due to environmental impacts, natural resource scarcity, and the need for durable and resilient infrastructure (Attri et al., 2022a). This is clearly reflected in the increase in the number of published works in recent years ( Fig. 1 ). Concrete and asphalt heavily rely on non-renewable resources, mainly natural aggregates, leading to significant ecological footprints from excessive resource extraction, production, transportation processes, carbon emissions, and energy use during construction (Anastasiou et al., 2015; Yaro et al., 2023).

Fig 1: The increasing number of papers on "Recycled Concrete Aggregates in pavements" is based on the search from "Web of science”.

To address these issues, sustainable practices focus on reusing and recycling materials like recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) derived from construction and demolition waste ( Fig. 2 ). Incorporating this new material in road construction not only offers a sustainable solution by reducing the high demand for virgin materials but also plays a pivotal role in minimizing waste disposal and therefore lowering the environmental footprint of transportation infrastructure projects (Behera et al., 2014; Tam et al., 2018). Standards and certifications are elaborated to incentivize sustainable techniques to mitigate resource depletion and maintain resilient eco-friendly transportation infrastructure (Zhang et al., 2019).