Integration of Recycled Industrial Wastes into Pavement Design and Construction for a Sustainable Future

Abstract

Transportation Infrastructure has remained a key element for the economic and social development. Especially in developing countries, the demand for new roads and maintenance of existing roads is very high as they depend on the overall economic development. These calls for transforming the methods the roads are being constructed. Recent studies have shed light on the concept of making transportation system greener and more sustainable, which can be a fast track to achievie the goals of saving the planet from further generations. One of the effective ways of addressing this issue is by substituting or replacing pavements layers by sustainable alternate materials. Promising alternate materials have been investigated in road construction-specifically using recycled wastes. The purpose of this study is to analyze the environmental significances of alternate materials such as recycled tires, recycled glass and waste plastics in road construction and delineate their economic and environmental importance. This is addressed by comparing various parameters such as global warming potential, carbon footprint, cost, and other environmental impact factors. The results of this investigation showed that the use of these materials in pavement construction has substantial environmental and economic benefits. These results will assist in developing revised pavement design and construction methods that are more efficient and economically feasible.