Avaliação do potencial de utilização de materiais reciclados de Resíduos de Construção e Demolição (RCD) produzidos em infraestruturas de transportes

Abstract

The recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) has been recognised as a solution that makes for an efficient management of these materials in civil engineering works and to reduction of natural resources extraction. Bound and unbound layers of transport infrastructures are an example of application of materials obtained from CDW, allowing the incorporation of large amounts of these materials, thus contributing to more sustainable construction practices and rehabilitation processes. The recovery of all waste generated during the infrastructures life cycle is of great interest given the current demand and future foreseeable shortage of resources, the growing need to care for and preserve the environment and bearing in mind the ultimate goal of "zero landfill",. To that end, it is therefore necessary to quantify and adequately characterize the materials that constitute the road pavement from the viewpoint of suppliers of raw materials to be used in future maintenance, conservation and rehabilitation operations. Based on the main results obtained in a study carried out on a national road, this paper quantifies CDW produced during the expected pavement maintenance, conservation and rehabilitation and evaluate its recycling potential as secondary materials for transportation infrastructures. Besides, taking into account the objectives of a circular economy, it is presented the environmental impact of the various interventions carried out through the whole life cycle, by quantifying of the consumed energy and its equivalent as carbon footprint.