TECHNICAL PAPERS
Dec 1, 1984

Environmental Aspects of Waste Utilization in Construction

Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 110, Issue 6

Abstract

A general survey of waste utilization in construction is made from an environmental engineer's point of view. Generic environmental impacts are reviewed with a view to the alternative impacts of waste disposal. Applicable Federal regulations are briefly reviewed. The environmental impacts of five major construction uses are discussed: ceramics and insulation, concretes, aggregates, construction metals, and embankments, road base and landfills. Techniques of mitigating these impacts are also discussed. The most important environmental impacts appear to be dusting and leaching; both of these are substantially mitigated by solidifying the waste. On the whole, environmental considerations strongly favor more extensive waste utilization in construction, although particular wastes may be too risky to use.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

1.
American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, Water Pollution Control Federation, Standard Methods for the Examination Water and Wastewater, 15th Edition, American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C., 1980, #209E,G.
2.
“Ash Utilization,” Proceedings of the Third Ash Utilization Symposium, Pittsburgh, Pa., Mar. 13–14, 1973, Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8640, Bureau of Mines, 1974.
3.
Cahoon, H. P., and Cutler, J. B., “Feasibility of Making Insulation Material by Foaming Waste Glass,” Proceedings of the Third Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, U.S. Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, Mar. 14–16, 1972, pp. 353–357.
4.
Clifton, J. R., Brown, P. W., and Frohnsdorff, G., “Uses of Waste Materials and By‐Products in Construction, Part I,” Resource Recovery and Conservation, Vol. 5, No. 2, July, 1980, pp. 139–160.
5.
Clifton, J. R., Brown, P. W., and Frohnsdorff, G., “Uses of Waste Materials and By‐Products in Construction, Part II,” Resource Recovery and Conservation, Vol. 5, No. 3, Oct., 1980, pp. 217–228.
6.
Collins, R. J., “Construction Industry Efforts to Utilize Mining and Metallurgical Wastes,” Proceedings of the Sixth Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, May 2–3, 1978, pp. 133–143.
7.
Collins, R. J., and Miller, R. H., “Availability of Mining Wastes and Their Potential for Use as Highway Material—Executive Summary,” Report No. FHWA‐RD‐78‐28, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., Sept., 1977, p. 19.
8.
Committee on Disposal of Excess Spoil, Board on Mineral and Energy Resources, Commission on Natural Resources, Disposal of Excess Spoil from Coal Mining and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1981, p. 116.
9.
Electric Power Research Institute, FGD Sludge Disposal Manual, Second Edition, Final Report, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, Calif., Sept., 1980.
10.
Emery, J. J., “Slags,” Proceedings of the Fifth Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, U.S. Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, Apr. 13–14, 1976, pp. 291–300.
11.
Emery, J. J., “Utilization of Wastes and Byproducts In Canadian Construction,” Proceedings of the Sixth Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, May 2–3, 1978, pp. 36–43.
12.
Faber, J. H., “Power Plant Ash Utilization and Energy Conservation Efforts,” Proceedings of the Sixth Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, May 2–3, 1978, pp. 44–51.
13.
Gemmell, R. P., and Goodman, G. T., “Problems of Grassland Maintenance on Metalliferous Smelter Wastes,” in G. T. Goodman and M. J. Chadwick, eds., Environmental Management of Mineral Wastes, Sijthoof and Noordhoff, Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands, 1978.
14.
Hanks, T. G., Solid Waste/Disease Relationships: A Literature Survey, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare; Public Health Service, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1967.
15.
Holcomb, W. F., “An Overview of the Available Methods of Solidification for Radioactive Wastes,” Chapter 3 in R. B. Pojasek, ed., Toxic and Hazardous Waste Disposal, Volume I: Processes for Stabilization/Solidification, Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1979, pp. 23–64.
16.
Horiuchi, T., et al., “Utilization of Spent Oil Shale in the Preparation of Glass‐Fiber and Glas‐Ceramics,” Proceedings of the Sixth Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, U.S. Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, May 2–3, 1978, pp. 109–112.
17.
Jones, J. W., “Disposal of Power Plant Wastes,” in Proceedings of Energy/Environment III, The Third National Conference on the Interagency RED Program, EPA 600/9‐78‐022, Washington, D.C., 1978.
18.
Kaplan, R. S., and Regnstorff, G. W. P., “Emission of Sulfurous Gases from Blast Furnace Slags,” in J. Szekely, ed., The Steel Industry and the Environment, Marcel Dekker, N.Y., 1973, pp. 199–224.
19.
Lowrance, W. W., Of Acceptable Risk: Science and the Determination of Safety, William Kaufmann, Inc., Los Altos, Calif., 1976.
20.
Mansdorff, S. Z., and Golembiewski, M. A., “Environmental Health and Occupational Safety Aspects of Resource Recovery,” Proceedings of the Seventh Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, Oct. 20–21, 1980, pp. 91–100.
21.
Miller, R. H., and Collins, R. J., “Waste Materials as Potential Replacements for Highway Aggregates,” National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 166, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 1976, p. 58.
22.
Pojasek, R. B., ed., Toxic and Hazardous Waste Disposal, Volume 1: Processes for Stabilization/Solidification, Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1979.
23.
Scholes, S., “Utilization of Industrial Wastes in the Production of Glassceramics,” Proceedings of the Fourth Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, U.S. Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, May 7–8, 1974, pp. 316–328.
24.
Shirts, M. B., et al., “Progress in Stabilizing Mineral Wastes,” Proceedings of the Fourth Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, U.S. Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, Chicago, Ill., May 7–8, 1974, pp. 269–273.
25.
Soholt, L. F., et al., Coal Combustion Waste Manual: Evaluating Impacts to Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Service Program, National Power Plant Team, FWS/OBS‐81/05, 1981.
26.
Steinberg, M., and Beller, M., “Glass‐Polymer Composites for Sewer Pipe Construction,” Proceedings of the Fourth Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, U.S. Bureau of Mines and IIT Research Institute, May 7–8, 1974, pp. 162–173.
27.
Thompson, D. W., et al., “Survey of Available Stabilization Technology,” Chapter 2 in R. B. Pojasek, ed., Toxic and Hazardous Waste Disposal, Volume I: Processes for Stabilization/Solidification, Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1979, pp. 9–22.
28.
Tripodi, R. A., and Cheremisinoff, P. N., Coal Ash Disposal Solid Waste Impacts, Technomic Publishing Co., Westport, Conn., 1980.
29.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Guideline for Federal Procurement of Cement and Concrete Containing Fly Ash,” Federal Register, Vol. 45, No. 226, Nov. 20, 1980, pp. 76906–76921.
30.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Hazardous Waste and Consolidated Permit Regulations,” Federal Register, Vol. 45, No. 98, May 19, 1980, Book 2, pp. 33063–33285.
31.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Hazardous Waste Management System,” Federal Register, Vol. 48, Apr. 4, 1983, p. 14506.
32.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sulfur Emission: Control Technology and Waste Management, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Decision Series, EPA 600/9‐79‐019, May, 1979.
33.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, “Tests Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste—Physical Chemical Methods,” SW846, 2nd ed., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, July, 1982.
34.
Utility Solid Waste Activities Group, Edison Electric Institute, Report and Technical Studies on the Disposal and Utilization of Fossil‐Fuel Combustion Byproducts, Vol. 1, Edison Electric Institute, Oct. 26, 1982.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Environmental Engineering
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 110Issue 6December 1984
Pages: 1117 - 1133

History

Published online: Dec 1, 1984
Published in print: Dec 1984

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

James S. Gidley, A. M. ASCE
Asst. Prof. of Civ. Engrg., West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, W.Va.
William A. Sack, M. ASCE
Prof. of Civ. Engrg., West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, W.Va.

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share