Construction and demolition (C&D) waste as a road base material for Western Australia roads

This paper describes a preliminary examination of the engineering issues relating to the utilisation of C&D waste as a base course material for Western Australia roads. A series of laboratory tests were performed during which Repeated Load Triaxial (RLT) tests were conducted to determine the resilient modulus and permanent deformation characteristics of C&D waste and the commonly used base course material, Crushed Rock Base (CRB), as a reference material. A comparison of test results of both materials was then made. CIRCLY, a computer program based on the multi-layer elastic theory was used in the mechanistic approach of pavement design and analysis to determine the performance of a typical pavement model using C&D as a base course layer. Based on the study’s findings, C&D waste should be considered an adequate substitute for traditional aggregate in Western Australia road construction.