Suitability of Using Recycled Glass-Crushed Rock Blends for Pavement Subbase Applications

Construction and demolition materials such as recycled crushed rock and recycled glass account for a major proportion of the waste materials present in landfills in Australia. Using recycled glass and crushed rock in road pavement applications would significantly reduce the need for quarry-based virgin materials. Furthermore, recycled materials could be used in parts of the country where aggregate sources are scarce. This paper discusses the suitability and applicability of recycled glass when used in blends with crushed rock for road pavement applications. Performance of the blends was measured using an extensive suite of geotechnical engineering laboratory tests including basic classification tests along with modified compaction, California Bearing Ratio and Los Angeles abrasion tests. Repeated load triaxial tests were also conducted on blends. The test results indicated that the recycled glass could be blended with recycled crushed rock by up to 30% by mass and provide satisfactory engineering performance to be used as a pavement subbase material.