Steel Slag and Recycled Concrete Aggregates: Replacing Quarries to Supply Sustainable Materials for the Asphalt Paving Industry

Carlos D. A. Loureiro, Caroline F. N. Moura, Mafalda Rodrigues, Fernando C. G. Martinho, Hugo M. R. D. Silva and Joel R. M. Oliveira
Additional contact information
Carlos D. A. Loureiro: ISISE—Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimaraes, Portugal
Caroline F. N. Moura: ISISE—Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimaraes, Portugal
Mafalda Rodrigues: DST—Domingos da Silva Teixeira, 4700-727 Braga, Portugal
Fernando C. G. Martinho: CERENA—Centro de Recursos Naturais e Ambiente, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon University, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Hugo M. R. D. Silva: ISISE—Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimaraes, Portugal
Joel R. M. Oliveira: ISISE—Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimaraes, Portugal

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-31

Abstract: Various researchers are developing efforts to integrate waste and by-products as alternative materials in road construction and maintenance, reducing environmental impacts and promoting a circular economy. Among the alternative materials that several authors have studied regarding their use as partial or total substitutes for natural aggregates in the asphalt paving industry, the steel slag aggregate (SSA) and recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) from construction demolition waste (CDW) stand out. This paper reviews and discusses the characteristics and performance of these materials when used as aggregates in asphalt mixtures. Based on the various studies analyzed, it was possible to conclude that incorporating SSA or RCA in asphalt mixtures for road pavements has functional, mechanical, and environmental advantages. However, it is essential to consider some possible drawbacks of these aggregates that are discussed in this paper, to define the acceptable uses of SSA and RCA as sustainable feedstocks for road paving works.

Keywords: steel slag aggregate; recycled concrete aggregates; waste products; asphalt mixture; sustainable materials (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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