Incinerator Residue in Asphalt Base Construction

The construction and maintenance of the United States' highway system has created an increasing demand for quality construction materials. In large urban areas material scarcity, plus long transportation distances, have escalated the cost of suitable materials. In these areas there is an increasing supply of solid waste. This paper examines the use of incinerator residue obtained from the burning of municipal solid wastes as an aggregate in asphaltic concrete. Laboratory work followed by construction of a city street in Houston resulted in the following conclusions: (1)Asphaltic concrete made with incinerator residue (termed littercrete) meets current specifications for asphalt stabilized base materials; (2)littercrete can be constructed using conventional equipment and technology; (3)the littercrete pavement has performed as well as the conventional blackbase control; and (4)littercrete offers an attractive economical advantage in certain areas.