CONCRETE PAVING Concrete Recycling PavementPurpose In recyciing, an old pavement becomes a source of materials to build a new pavement. This conserves resources and the eliminates the costo dispose of old materials. This bulletin provides quicelines for concrete pavement recycling. The information explains how and why agencies and contractors use aggregates from crushing old concrete pavements for the construction of new concrete pavements, Introduction Recycling of concrete pavements a relatively simple process. It involves breaking, removing and crushing to a specified size, concrete from any satisfactory source. A readily available source is any existing concrete pavement which has exceeded is useful life and warrants replacement (1). Concrete from other applications, such as old sidewalks and curb & gutter, is also recyclable Several advances in recent years have made recycling more economical. These include: # development of equipment for breaking and crushing plain, mesh and dowel or continuously reinforced concrete pavements. * development of steel removal methods that minimize hand labor. # use and application of crushing equipment that can accommodate steel reinforcement. After processing, crushed concrete makes an acceptable aggregate for use in new concrete. Crushed concrete also works well in granular and lean concrete base layers. Reconstruction When an old concrete pavement nears the end Oflts service life, there are only a few options for its rehabilitation. As shown in Figure 1, those include complete removal and reconstruction, or placing a relatively thick overlay Compared to the cost of a thick overlay, reconstruction alleviates the cost of pre-overlay repairs and other costs associated with raising the grade of the pavement. Reconstruction with new or recycled aggregates also offers the ‘opportunity to correct subgrade or base deficiencies. These corrections are not possible with the overlay option. ‘The decision to reconstruct a pavement also requires consideration of roadside safety, geomettics, drainage and subgrade condition. Aside from their engineering importance, these factors also impact project performance and cost, ‘Therefore a life-cycle cost comparison between reconstruction and structural overlays must weigh the benefits inherent in these factors Roadside Safety — Because reconstruction affords control over surface elevation there is only slight cost to maintaining or enhancing roadway safety features (1). Foreslopes and median slopes that meet current standards require no adjustment. ‘There is no need to remove or adjust safety devices such as guard rails, signs, crash cushions or delineators. However, the devices must meet current standards. Geometries — Reconstruction provides an opportunity for making geometric adjustments on roadways (3,4). Possible corrections include: improving stopping sight distances, flattening pavement cross-slopes and improving substandard superelevation rates. Correcting inadequate vertical clearance at bridges and overhead signs Is also possible. Maintaining horizontal and vertical profiles is particularly important for airport pavement. Critical areas include: runway exits, runway intersections and taxiways. Any in-pavement systems, such ainerane (Rose! Joins) (Pm: Rasreton Bonked Overlay STRUCTURAL CONDITION [AGE OR TRAFFIC, Figwe 1. Concrete pavement ite diagram showing the relative postion of concrete eabination strategies. Note that reconstruction and nlays aro near the end of ‘pavement fe when structural condition is poor.as runway lights or power and hydraulic fueling hook-ups, are also important. Drainage — Reconstruction allows establishing good surface and subsurface drainage Characteristics (4). Usually subsurface structures can remain in place if they are functioning properly, Repair or replacement is necessary to only those structures which no longer drain. Improved cross-slopes enhance surface drainage. Cross- slope adjustments to improve drainage are easily made in the new concrete pavement. Minimal grading adjusiments during reconstruction can also improve ditch lines. ‘Subgrade Condition — Aftor pavernont removal the opportunity exists for correction of weak or unacceptable subgrade support. Subcuts can easily replace poorly-draining high-plasticity soils with good quality fill material, This is important especially for bathtub sections. Recycling Advantages Recycling is an option with concrete pavement reconstruction. Recycling offers savings in the cost of transporting new aggregates and in the cost of hauling and disposing of the old concrete. A reconstruction analysis is not complete without ‘examining the potential benefits of recycling the existing pavement. Consideration of the following elements is necessary: Pavement Type — No restriction exists for recycling old concrete pavement. Agencies have economically recycled old airport runways, highways and municipal streets (1). The existence of reinforcement is also not a limitation, Plain jointed, doweled, mesh-reinforced and continuously. reinforced pavement can be reused, Aggregate Quality — Testing samples of the old concrete is also very important to determine how the material will perform (1). Agencies must closely examine pavements with aggregate or mix deficiencies, such as alkali-silica reactivity or D-cracking. The severity of these material problems can govern reuse of the old concrete. Resource Conservation — Rousing oxisting material is helpful where quality aggregate supplies are scarce (1,5,6,7). Quality aggregates are not locally available in many regions of the country. The scarcity forces contractors to ship aggregates: long distances from quarries that produce material that meets modern quality standards. In some areas the supply of acceptable natural aggregates can also be difficult to obtain and expensive to use. Still in other areas, a single large highway project can deplete the supply of usable local natural aggregate. Environmental Considerations — There are no disposal problems when recycling existing pavement. Disposal difficulties exist in urban areas. where landfill space is becoming scarce (7,8). Using this valuable landfill space for disposal of recyclable concrete is questionable. Many urban landfills will not accept construction materials. In these areas disposal of ald concrete is costly for the contractor and agency. Given the option to recycle existing material the contractor can often mitigate the need for new: quarries. Most governments now impose tight controls on the environmental impact of opening new aggregate sources, In many areas zoning controls limit the ability or heighten the expense of starting new quarries. Economic Factors — Fecycling is an attractive ‘option for agencies contronted with pavement reconstruction in resource-scarce or single-source locations (4,5,6). There is a potential for cost. savings for aggregate hauling. It is not uncommon for contractors to haul virgin material over 50 to 70 miles (80-112 km) for certain projects. In some cases contractors must ship material from sites over distances greater than 200 miles (322 km). Use — Anew concrete mix can include both recycled coarse and fine material (1,4). Using 100, percent recycled coarse aggregate produces acceptable quality concrete. Use of fines in a new mix requires close examination. Usually replacement, of only 10-20 percent virgin sand is acceptable. Itis also possible to include recycled aggregate in concrete shoulders, median barriers, and support layers. Support layer uses include: econocrete base, cement-treated base, unstabilized base and cement-treated and non-treated permeable base. Fine aggregate from the crushing operation also makes good fill for subgrade corrections, Recycling The objective of recycling concrete pavement is to maximize production of coarse aggregateThe recycled coarse aggregates are more valuable and more usable than the recycled fine aggregate: A contractor has many choices of recycling equipment and processes. Each choice may result in different levels of coarse aggregate yield The key steps in concrete pavement recycling are preparation, breaking, concrete removal, stee! separation and crushing Pavement Preparation — The first step is to remove joint seal material shoulders, and asphalt patches or overlays. This minimizes the chance of including these contaminates in the recycled aggregate (1,9,10). Typically, contractors remove joint seal materials, with a cutting tooth mounted on a front-end loader Contractors use front-end loaders to pick up loose mai ter milling or scraping off asphalt overlays. The loader can dislodge any material still adhering to the old conerete surface. Brooming to remove loose particles is the final step. eriorated asphalt shoulders should be remo before breaking operations on full reconstruction projects (10). Removing the shoulders takes away lateral support on the slab. This eases concrete pavement breaking and removal Shoulders that are in good condition should remain in place (11), An innovation being used in one European country for two-course construction suggests thal removing asphalt resurfacing material may not be critical (12). In Austria, specifications allow crushed concrete for the lower course to contain up to 20 percent asphalt particles. The inclusion of asphalt particles provides an economical mixture and a way to use the old asphalt, However, nearly all of Austrian aggregates are from excellent quality material. There are no occurrences of D-cracking or alkali-silica reactivity on their existing concrete pavements, Pavement Breaking — Pavement breaking serves two purposes. The main purpose is to size the material for ease of handling and transport to the crushing plant. Breaking should also impart enough eneray to maximize debonding of concrete 10 reinforcing stee! (1,10) Figure 2 shows a variety of available pavement breaking machines. The choice of equipmen depends on the contractors operations. The two basic breaking machine classifications are impa 4 "p hatenor (0) chose amine (6) sbraing and (0) wip hammerCoA oe CE eee TYPE TYPICAL BREAK APPROX. PATTERN BLOWS PER in (em) MINUTE Diesel Pile Driver Impact 18 (48) 80-90 Diesel Hammer Impact 24 (61) 90 Falling Weight Impact 24 (61) : ‘Swing Hammer Impact 24 (61) ~ Wrecking Ball Impact 24 (61) = Vibrating Rosonant 6 (15) 2640 and resonant. Table 1 shows some characteristics, of available breaking equipment. Several factors affect the production rate of breaking equipment. Pavement factors include: slab thickness, concrete strength, and quantity and type of reinforcing steel. More impact energy is needed as these factors increase. As base support increases, less impact energy is necessary to effectively break the old concrete. Operators adjust the equipment to vary breaking energy. Most breakers respond to adjustment of either the number of passes, the forward speed or the drop height. This controls the degree of steel separation or severance, and the size of broken pavement fragments. The desirable size of broken pieces is typically less than 24 in (60 em) (1). ‘Some control on the break energy is also necessary to minimize damage to the subgrade and underlying culverts. Excessive break energy may Push concrete pieces into underiying granular layers. Then during concrete removal, loaders must ick up more base material to get the broken concrete. This causes contamination of the concrete with underlying base material and introduces more fines into the recycled aggregate (1, 10). Additional base material is also needed to replace the material scooped up during conerete removal. ‘The contractor also must consider the crushing operation in choosing breaking equipment. Impact crushers can typically handle larger broken concrete pieces than compression crushers, ‘The enhanced productivity of breaking and removing larger pieces may be attractive, However, a contractor must also consider the yield of coarse aggregate, since impact crushers generally yiold slightly less coarse aggregate than compression crushers. Pavement Removal — The first step in the removal process is to loosen the concrete pieces and separate any debonded reinforcing steel (Figure 3). Contractors have found that a back hoe or bulldozer with a rhino horn attachment provides an excelient loosening tool (1). The rhino horn is a 80-in (76-crn), curved and Pointed hard-steel pick (Figure 4) Front-end loaders and dump trucks can easily handle removal and transport of the broken pavement (Figure 5). However, removal procedures vary with the intended use for the tecycled material. Contractors must use extra care Figwe s. tfec of rhino fom mounted on a buldazer loosening concrete hagments along @ recyeting projec.Figure 4. Close-up ofa rhino hom, when the broken concrete is to be used in a new concrete mix. Loader operators must not scoap up too much base material with the broken concrete ‘Some agencies report that rubber tired loaders minimize base disturbance and pick up compared to tracked loaders. The use of buckets and blades with digging teeth also helps minimize the removal of base materials. Earth and cohesive soils can adhere to the underside of the broken concrete during wet weather (1). In these circumstances, the contractor may limit his removal operation to dry weather only. This is not usually a problem for granular or stabilized base materials, An option to hauling away broken material is to place the material into an on-grade track-mounted crusher (13). The mobile crusher travels along the grade and processes broken pieces as it moves. Loaders feed broken concrete into the crusher directly after picking the concrete from the grade. The crusher processes the material and discharges, it directly into dump trucks. Figure 5. A front-end leader re ing broken concrete Reinforcing Steel Removal — Reinforcing stee! removal occurs during several phases of the recycling process (1,3,5,10). The degree of separation depends on the type of reinforcing steel (continuous bars or mesh). Typically contractors remove continuous reinforcement on the grade. Dowel and tie bar removal typically occurs at the plant. Continuous reinforcement separation and removal ‘occurs on the grade as the rhino horn moves through the broken concrete. The rhino horn hooks the steel and pulls it free from the concrete fragments (Figure 6a). Some handwork to cut the stool usually accompanies this operation Workers using torches, or pneumatic or hydraulic shears cut reinforcing steel to lengths that are easy to transport (Figure 6b), ‘There is an alternate removal and steel separation method for pavernents with wire mesh. Large 30,000 Ib (13608 kg) breakers can completely severe the mesh steel. A rhino horn mounted. on a backhoe boom can lift, separate and pile the material. The loader operator uses the rhino horn| to break any fragment too large for the primary crusher. A front-end loader then places the ‘material into trucks for transport. This permits removal of the pavement without any steel cutting at the roadway. Final removal of steel from concrete fragments, lakes place during the crushing operations (1). Crushing plants have an electromagnet to catch steel moving along the conveyor belt between the primary and secondary crushers (Figure 7). The electromagnet collects nearly all remaining steel Only a few pieces may be found in the aggregatestockpile after processing. Some contractors also use manual steel remaval to complement magnetic steel removal. Salvaged steel becomes the property of the ntractor. Depending on the degree of separation, he contractor can sell the steel as scrap metal Wire mesh steel that has a large quantity of bonded concrete become Crushing — The same basic equipment that processes virgin agg} izes and st ‘ecycled concrete pavement (Figure 8). Some modifications to standard crushing equipment by producers now allows efficient use for crushing ncrete pavement. The newer pavement crushers are more heavy duty and the plants contain an electromagnet for steel removal. Advancements in the metallurgical design of concrete crusher sear components has reduced the maintenance nd wear costs over virgin aggregate crushers ales, also crushes systems and virgin material stockpiling techniques are also the same for recycled concrete. However, crushing fragments with embedded steel requires lowering the belt below the primary crusher, This provides room for the long pieces o fall without jamming and ipping the bel Most re ling plants have a primary and a secondary crusher. The primary crusher normally educes the material down to about a 3-4 in (8-10 sm). The crushed 1 screens and separates into sizes greater than and ered less than 3/8 in (9.5 mm). The material larger than 3/8 in is fed to a secondary crusher which breaks aterial passes throughthe material further. The secondary crusher sets the maximum desired coarse aggregate size The two basic types of crushers are compression crushers and impact crushers (Figure 9) (1,10,14). The difference between them is how they pulverize the concrete. Compression crushers are either jaw or cone designs. Impact use either a horizontal or vertical rotor. An improved pavement crusher can process broken concrete from 100-500 tons/hour (90720-453600 kg/hr) (1,15). Impact crushers use repeated blows to reduce the size of concrete fragments. The blow bar on COMPRESSION CRUSHERS CONE JAW Broken Concrete oars eee Breaking bb cone Pine 4 | — t Jaw Break \ Plate covet | Coneote Discharge Sioa Stationary Jaw Eccentie crushes Plate Dinchawwe IMPACT CRUSHERS VERTICAL HORIZONTAL &, ashen Gomes at Primary oak Plate oo, n Break Secondary ye Rotovimpetors Pia rine N Plate eI =, = Concrete Concrete \ notorsiow Bars Dincharge Discharge casas charge reve Daganactte eee mn pps stenstes Ne at erott nate dean canbe ena veala horizontal rotor breaks nearly 85 percent of the concrete fragments down to acceptable size. Any remaining large fragments break upon impact with the steel anvil or break plates in the crusher housing. In vertical impact crushers nearly all breakage occurs upon impact with the break plates. Horizontal rotors are more common for recycling concrete pavement. The rotor will continue to hurl pieces which are larger than the desired top-size. An impact crusher must be capable of withstanding the impact of any stee! reinforcement that enters the machine. Jaw crushers use a cyclic compression to break the conerete. A large steel plate compresses concrete fragments against a stationary plate within the crusher housing. The compression force breaks the concrete. Varying the jaw closure changes the maximum top-size of aggregates. Contractors often use a jaw crusher as the primary crusher because it can handie large pieces. Cone crushers use an eccentric rotating cone to crush concrete fragments. As it rotates, the cone traps and breaks the fragments against the inner housing walls. When the material becomes small enough, it escapes through the bottom of the crusher housing. One limitation of cone crushers is the size material fed into the crusher. Most can handle fragments no greater than 8 in (20 om). Contractors often use a cone crusher as the secondary unit on a recycling plant. Yield — The yield of coarse aggregate depends cn the type of conorete pavernent being recycled Yield losses are negligible for continuously reinforced or plain concrete pavement. Typical loss of material through removal operations is about 10 percent for removal of wire mesh in jointed reinforced pavements. However, loss is negligible ifthe contractor uses an impact crusher and mesh removal occurs at the plant. ea Ca eee ee ee ee ee | CP eee ee ee on ed 1OWA PROJECT* OKLAHOMA PROJECT** |MICHIGAN PROJECT*** SIEVE SIZE COARSE [FINE COARSE | FINE COARSE | FINE 1-12 (38.0 mm) 100 100 i (25.4 mm) 72 100 98 314 (19.0 mm) 39 98.5 76 1/2 (125mm) at 465 400 43, 318 (9.7 mm) 93 100 112 99.2 25 100 No.4 (4.75mm) 29 76 15 788 20 99 No.8 (2.36 mm) 20 81 6 No. 10 (2.4mm) 485 No. 16 (1.18 mm) 30 40 No. 30 (600 wm) 16 28 No. 40 (450 um) 19.4 No. 50 (300 um) 80 19 No. 80 (180 pn) 92 No. 100 (150 wm) 35 12 No. 200 (75 um) 07 20 45 Breaking by dese ple diver - Crushing produco 65% coare0/5% no mate *_ Broking by deel ple ever Crishing prodicod 60% coase/4O% line mata Crushing by aw crusher. Coarse and ine separated for lab analyCrushing operations typically yield about 75 percent coarse and 25 percent fine aggregate, The ratio will vary depending on the pavement type, broken concrete size and crushing plant design, ‘The contractor should adjust the crushing operation to maximize the yield of coarse aggregate while maintaining a typical coarse aggregate gradation Crushing for large top-size aggregate produces greater total yield than smaller top-size since less. crushing is necessary. Gradations — Proper screen selection enables a crushing plant to meet American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials gradations §7 and 67. With appropriate adjustments a plant can produce any desired gradation. Table 2 provides aggregate gradations from recycling operations on three projects. A mobile crusher can produce 4-in (10-cm) maximum size material at a rate of 120-150 tons/hr (108864-136080 kg/nr), Each machine contains, ‘a magnet for steel removal. The crushed material Is suitable for roadbed. The forward speed of the mobile crusher is from 960-1920 fyhr (298-585 myhr) (13). Aggregate Characteristics Most of the same tests performed on virgin aggregate are necessary for recycled concrete pavement aggregate. Extensive research on recycled material helped set test limits and target value ranges for recycled aggregate (3,5). Many of these tests have shown recycled aggregate to be of better quality than some virgin material (1.12) Coarse Aggregates — An agency should specify the same gradation ranges for recycled concrete coarse aggregate as for virgin materials. Crushing can produce aggregate within the limits for concrete mix gradations or gradations for other uses, such as base material. However, the agancy should expect a lower yield of recycled coarse material when the ‘gradation requires smaller top-size material Coarse aggregates are those particles which are no less than 3/8 in (9.5 mm) at their narrowest with. ‘A small quantity of fine particles remain on the coarse aggregates during sizing operations. Studies of this condition conclude that, for most 10 uses, the aggregates do not need washing to remove this fine material. However, some agencies require washing to reduce the potential of leaching calcium carbonate or calcium oxide when the aggregate is used for an unstabllized base course. Specific Gravity — The specitic gravity of crushed concrete will be lower than that of virgin aggregate (Figure 10) (1,3,14). Typical values range between 2.2 and 2.5 for a saturated surlace dry condition, There is a progressive decrease in bulk specific gravity as particle size decreases. The value will also vary based on the type of virgin material used in the original concrete pavement. iss, Figure 10. Comparison of specilic gravis of recycled ‘and virgin aggregate (1) Absorption — There is a major difference in water absorption properties between virgin and recycled coarse aggregate. Recycled aggregate water absorption is much higher (1,3,14, 15). This results from the high absorption of old cement mortar attached to the particles (Figure 11). Values. typically range from 2-6 percent, and vary depending on the old concrete pavement (1) Absorption values also increase as coarse aggregate particle size decreases. Abrasion Loss — The upper limit of Los Angeles Abrasion loss for pavement aggregates is 50 percent, Most recycled aggregates should easily meet this requirement (1,3,14). Typical recycled aggregate values range from 20-45 percent. In some specifications a material is also satisfactory it it has a good service record for over 5 years under similar service and exposure conditions.Absorption Ov pron Fee van a 1-in (2.5-cm) scalping screen ahead of the primary crusher for removal of unwanted material A scalping screen shakes the material and allows fines and clay balls to separate from the broken concrete. However, this extra step is usually not necessary with experienced operator control of pavement removal. ‘Tests show that introducing clay in a concrete mix results in a high water demand and reduced strength. Figure 12 shows the effects of introducing a kaolinite clay into a concrete mix, ‘The reduction in strength is due to a higher demand for water to accommodate the presence of the clay. Flgue 11. Comparison of water abscrption of recycled and virgin aggregate (1). Sulfate Soundness — | is not necessary to run the sulfate soundness test on recycled aggregate (1,14). Tests run on recycled coarse aggregates show typical values of 3 or less. This is far below the maximum loss allowable by procedure B of American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) test C 666-77. Usually the acceptable durability of the aggregate in an old concrete pavement precludes further testing Contaminants — Contaminonts are only a concer for recycled aggregates that will be used in concrete. No concern is necessary for base course aggregate. An agency must use strict control with recycled aggregate for a new concrete mix. An agency should not allow recycled concrete aggregate to have a larger degree of contamination than allowed for virgin coarse aggregate (15). Contamination is usually not a problem for rural highway or airport recycling, These projects use materials removed from the project site. Initial preparation and careful removal by loader operators usually provides adequate contaminant control. However, in urban recycling operations, the recycled concrete aggregate can be from a variety of sources which makes controlling contaminants a greater concern (15). Materials such as plaster, soil, wood, gypsum, asphalt, plastic, vinyl or rubber can be found in urban. recycled aggregate stockpiles On any recycling project it is possible that loader operators pick up soil or base material while removing the old concrete. Some contractors use. Kaolinte Clay Ratio 2} 4 ‘SirengthiCement Conte rl oe 1. ot eo 45 OTe 8 wt 2 1014 Clay Content (Percent Total Aggregate Weight) Figure 12. Concrete strength reduction with increasing percentages of kaolin clay. (The strength values hhave been normalized for cement canton needed ‘wih the presence of clay) Fine Aggregates — Fine aggregates are defined as those passing the 3/8 in (9.5 mm) sieve. The type of crushing ‘equipment intluences the gradation of the fine aggregate. Usually the recycled fine material will be very angular, with a high absorption rate and low spocitic gravity (1,3). Specitie Gravity — The specific gravity of recycled conerete fines is significantly lower than that typical for natural sands (Figure 10) (3), Specific gravity values range from 2.0-2.3 for a saturated surface dry condition. The values vary depending on the type of virgin material. The bulk specific gravity also decreases as particle size decreases. 1Standard base gradations (percent passing sieve). |cRUSHED DENSE PERMEABLE* SIEVE SIZE [STONE GRADED (AASHTO 67) | AASHTO 57 1-1/2 (38.0 mm) 100 100 1 (25.4mm) 100 100 95-100 3/4 (190mm) 90-100 12 (125mm) 25-60 ae (97mm) 40-75 20-55 No.4 (4.75 mm) 25-60 35-70 0-10 0-10 No.8 (2.36 mm) 05 05 No. 10 (2.4mm) 15-45 No. 200 (75 um) 3-12 3-10 * Permeable base using this gradation can be cement stabilized Absorption — Like recycled coarse aggregate, the fine material has high water absorption. This is because a majority of the fine material is mortar from the ald concrete which is typically more absorbent than natural aggregate (Figure 11) (3,15). High absorption rates are particularly notice- able in crushed fine material from concrete that contained entrained air. Crushed fines absorption values typically range from 4-8%, and vary depending on the concrete pavement being recycled. Residual Chlorides — The chloride content of recycled aggregate is of concern if the material will be used in reinforced pavement. Chlorides may be present in crushed concrete as a result of many years of deicing salt pplication on an old pavement. High levels of chioride in the recycled agaregate can induce corrosion of reinforcing stee! embedded in a new concrete. However the quantity of chloride typically found in old concrete pavement is below critical threshold values (1). The chloride percontage in recycled coarse aggregate varies from 0.07-0.09 percent (15). In recycled fine aggregate the chloride content is about 0.08 percent (15) ‘One agency's test on recycled coarse aggregates found the sodium chloride content to range from 1.7-5.0 Ibs/ouyd (1.0-3.0 kg/mm’) (15). Other tests show that the chloride content would be less than 12 2 Ibs/cuyd (1.2 kg/m’) when using recycled concrete aggregate in a new mix. This is well below the threshold value [4 Ib/cuyd (2.4 kgim’)] that the agency uses to trigger removal and replacement of concrete bridge decks due to corrosion potential (1). Applications Some states require that the contractor recycle old concrete pavement during reconstruction, However, the state specifications do not dictate how the contractor reuse the material. The contractor can evaluate the material and use it for the concrete mix, or in a base layer. Granular Base — Using recycled concrete as granular base is, common practice. A contractor can produce any desired gradation using crushed concrete. The ‘material is suitable for both open or dense ‘gradations. Table 3 provides typical base layer ‘gradations (17,18). The cost of using recycled aggregates for base material includes only the cost cof crushing operations. The costs for breaking, removal, steel separation and transport are incidental to any reconstruction project. On inlay projects a contractor can reuse the old concrete as a permeable base for the new inlay. ‘The importance of drainage under highway inlayscannot be overemphasized. Rouse of the old concrete provides a very economical base material. Concrete — No special handling, batching or mixing methods are necessary when using recycled concrete aggregates. However, the high absorption of recycled aggregate may make it necessary to add more water and start with a higher slump (1). This is particularly true for aggregates which are dry ‘oefore batching, Experience shows that dry recycled aggregate continues to absorb mix water after mixing in the batch plant. This results in less workability and a lower slump at the paving site then just after mixing. To offset this, some contractors use a sprinkling system to keep recycled aggregate stockpiles moist. In many cases recycling provides more than ‘enough coarse aggregate material to replace an existing pavement. Therefore a new mix requires no virgin coarse aggregate. For example, one old 24-4t (7.3-m) wide, 9-in (23-om) concrete pavement provided enough coarse aggregate to construct a 10-in (25-cm) thick concrete pavement with concrete shoulders (1). The recycled coarse aggregate takes up about 40 percent of the volume in the new concrete mix. Natural sand, water, ‘cement, fly ash and air entrainment made up the remaining 60 percent. Mix Design — Normal mix design methods are followed when using recycled aggregate. The specifying agency should require that the mix design meet minimum strength and minimum, cement content requirements. Trial batches are important to help verity that a mix will meet the specifications (15). Table 4 shows mix designs for concrete in several highway projects. ‘Special care is necessary using recycled fine aggregate in a new concrete mix. Too many recycled fines can produce a harsh and unworkable mix. Many agencies have found that using only about 10-20 percent recycled fines is beneficial. The remaining percentage of fine material is natural sand. At a small substitution rate the recycled fines usually do not interfere with the workability or strength of the concrete. Itis very important to test the recycled fines at several substitution rates to determine the optimal rate. ee ae ee eet eae eee ee GRAND FORKS MINNESOTA* | WISCONSIN N. DAKOTA WYOMING DoT DoT INT'L AIRPORT | DOT COMPONENTS | [Ib/cy (kg/m*) Ib/cy (kg/m?) Ib/ey (kg/m*) Ib/ey (kg/m*) ‘Cement (Type |) 472 (280) 480 (285) 400 (287) 488 (290) Fly Ash (Type C) 83 (49) 110 (65) 130 (77) 133 (79) Water 265 (151) 265 (157) 230° (136) 258 (153) Recycled Coarse | 1630 (967) 1815 (1077) 1650 (979) 1349 (800) Virgin Coarse 601 (387) Recycled Fine 253 (150) Virgin Fine 1200 (712) 1315 (780) 1260 (748) 882 (523) Admixtures: Air Entrainer yes yes yes yes Water Reducer no no yes yes Recycled concrete exited 0-Cracking (Coarse aggregate crushed 19-44 in (19 mm) 43‘Due to the high absorption of recycled aggregate, ‘some deviation in typical batch weights will likely be necessary. The mix design engineer must use ‘extra care in determining the necessary quantity of mix water. Recycled aggregate will usually require more water to reach a saturated surface dry condition than virgin aggregate. The result is a higher than usual water quantity necessary for aggregate absorption and cement hydration. Construction Subgrade Preparation — An agency should anticipate repairing weak support areas on reconstruction projects. The location of weak areas will ikely be known from visible distress on the pavement surface before removal. However, removing the existing pavement will almost always expose other suspect locations, Reconstruction specifications should include bid items to cover correction of weak support areas. In some situations removal of an existing aggregate base may be necessary to correct the subgrade soil Anumber of options are available to correct a weak, subgrade. One approach is to blade or mix the soil with cement, lime or lime-tly ash. The cement or pozzolan creates a bond which stabilizes the soil Another approach uses the fine aggregate produced from the crushing operation from recycling concrete. The recycled fine material acts. as a drying agent when mixed with the subgrade soil (14), This takes advantage of the high water absorption capacity of the recycled fines. Another common method is to undercut the weak areas and replace the poor soil with a select fill material Paving Operations — No special techniques are necessary for paving new concrete made with recycled aggregate Conerete mixing is usually done in a conventional central mix plant. Agencies have specified recycled aggregate concrete for all types of concrete pavement (1) These include jointed plain, jointed reinforced and continuously reinforced designs. The continuously reinforced pavements have had beth black steel and epoxy coated reinforcing steel. Finishing — Tho workability of a concrete mix with recycled aggregate mainly depends on the presence of the recycled fines (1). Large quantities of recycled fines are normally not used in concrete 44 mixes because of their harsh angularity and high absorption characteristics. These properties produce concrete that is harsh and difficult to finish. Use of natural sands in will produce a concrete with normal finishing qualities. Ride — An agency need not compromise its ride quality standards for recycled concrete. Projects. using concrete made with recycled aggregate can moot the same quality standards as those using standard materials. Two-Course Construction — Two-course monolithic construction uses both high-quality virgin material and recycled material in the same slab (12), The slab design has a bottom layer of concrete using recycled aggregates. The upper portion of the slab is a high-quality virgin material. The design requires an upper layer thickness of about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) A modified slipform paver or spreader first places the lower layer of recycled-aggregate concrete. A slipform paver follows with the upper high-quality concrete. Both courses are still wet during placement. After consolidation and curing they become a monolithic slab. Austrian records show that this is an excellent way to use recycled aggregate containing asphalt particles. The material provides adequate strength ‘and durability for the lower course. The high- quality concrete provides a wear-resistant surface. Further information on two-course construction is available in reference 12. Finished Concrete Properties Strength — Strength testing shows that concrete with recycied coarse aggregates and virgin fine aggregate can obtain adequate compressive strength for pavement applications (1,15). Core tests also show adequate strength development. Some minor compressive strength reduction will likely occur when the recycled-aggregate mix also contains recycled fines (15). This is because natural sand particles are of greater strength than the recycled fine aggregate. A significant portion ‘of the recycled fines is mortar from the old concrete mix. The majority of the strength loss is attributed to material smaller than 0.08 in (2 mm) (15).Conerete flexural strength using recycled coarse aggregate may be slightly lower than a similar mix with virgin aggregate, The flexural strength difference using natural sand is usually no more than 10 percent (3). Using recycled fine aggregate in the mix may reduce flexural strength 10-20 percent. Freeze-Thaw Durability — Concrete using recycled aggregate is durable to freeze-thaw cycles (1). Many recycled-aggregate conoretes provide even better freeze-thaw durability than concrete made with all virgin materials. A common durability test, ASTM C 666 Procedure 8, allows a tolerance of 40 percent of the original modulus of elasticity. For harsh climates the testing usually requires that each sample undergo 300 freeze-thaw cycles. After 300 cycles, typical recycled concrete modulus of elasticity varies by 5 percent (1). These values are well within the acceptable tolerance of 40 percent. ‘Substantial improvement to freeze-thaw durability is also possible when recycling D-cracked concrete (1). The maximum size of the aggregate has a critical effect on D-cracking. Reducing the size of susceptible aggregate to a maximum size of 3/4 in (19 mm) reduces the D-cracking potential (19). Itis important to perform freeze-thaw durability tests (on specimens containing aggregates from an old D-cracked concrete pavement. Crush the old concrete to less than 3/4 in (19 mm) for the tests. ‘The addition of about 20 percent fly ash as a ‘cement replacement can also enhance durability (1). Laboratory testing should also include analysis, of specimens containing fly ash Special Considerations Using recycled aggregate requires some special considerations. The top-size of coarse aggregate is important when using recycled aggregate in mesh-reinforced concrete pavement. Drainage system design alteration may be necessary when using recycled concrete for an unstabilized drainable base. Reinforced Pavements — Use caution when using concrete with recycled aggregates in jointed reinforced concrete pavements, Joints and cracks in long-panel designs undergo much wider movement from ‘open to closed than joints in plain pavements. This is because the reinforced panel lengths are much longer than panels without reinforcement. ‘A completely open mid-panel crack may lose aggregate interlock, especially if the coarsé aggregates are small [<1 in. (25 mm)]. Shear and bending stresses on mesh reinforcement is high without the additional load transfer that aggregate interlock provides. This results in steel ruptures and poor crack performance. One agency found that using recycled coarse aggregate in the concrete mix contributed to accelerated deterioration of 41-ft (12.5-m) reinforced slabs. Intermediate cracks in the reinforced panels spalled and faulted. The reinforcing mesh ruptured because the recycled aggregate was too small to provide adequate load transfer (aggregate interlock) Leachate — Crushing operations may produce dust and fine Material that can cling to the larger coarse aggregate particles. In a unstabllzed permeable base, draining water may wash the dust off the large aggregates. The water and fine material will run through the drainage system. Some agencies report observing the leachate at drain outlets (17,20). The fine material may also settle on the filter fabric or drain pipes before reaching the outlets. The leachate can clog the pipes and blind the filter fabric. The longitudinal edge drain design shown in Figure 13 can prevent clogging (17). The filter fabric does not completely surround the trench. This allows free flow of water and fine 4 in. Granular Filter 4 in. Permeable Base 2 bk 8-12 in Concrete Slab) Slotted Pipe (4 in. typ.) Porous Backfill Figure 13. Longituainal edge atain dot (3 in = 26.4 mm) 15material through the unstabilized permeable base to the outlet pipes and the ditch. Leaching will not occur if tne permeable base is stabilized with portland cement. Therefore adjust ments to the drain system design are unnecessary. Cement stabilization incorporates the leachable fines in the matrix surrounding the aggregates. The fines can not be washed off which completely nulifies any leaching concerns. Alkali-Silica Reactive Pavements — Alkali-silica reactivity is @ problem in many areas of the United States (Figure 14) (21). Alkali-silica reactivity typically occurs in pavements with silica type coarse or fine aggregates. The aggregates may react in alkali solutions. The cement and water ina concrete mix provide the soluble alkali source for a reaction. The reaction forms a gel that creates internal pressures in the concrete leading to extensive cracking, The cracking can grow over time as the gel continues to form, Itis important to evaluate and test a mix before deciding to recycle a pavement with alkal-silica reactivity. Avoid including alkali-silica concrete as aggregate in a new concrete mix if virgin material is readily available. To reduce further reactivity, a new mix should contain a low-alkali type Il cement and a low water to cement ratio (1). Adding a type F fly ash can also reduce the potential for further reactivity (1). The fly ash must meet ASTM C 618 lest requirements, DB Atraursiica aeactivity [TJ no AUKALLSILICA REACTIVITY Figure 14. United States map showing areas in ich atk a reactvy has been found (21) 16 Cost Recycling can result in considerable savings over using virgin materials. Depending on availability of acceptable virgin aggregates, the savings can be as much as $10.00 per ton ($1 1.00 per 1000 kg) of aggregate. ‘The cost of recycling only includes the cost of crushing. Crushing costs range up to about $3.00 per ton ($3.30 per 1000 kg) for each ton of crushed coarse aggregate (1). Since reconstruction requires removal, recycling does not affect the cost of removing an old concrete pavement, The net cost reduction for recycled concrete pavement placement can be about $4.00 per sy (84.80 per m). This does not include: disposal Cost savings, potential use of recycied fines, and potential haul road damage from transport of virgin and old materials, Additional Information ‘Additional information on conerete pavement recycling is available from the American Concrete Pavement Association. Conclusion Concrete recycing is an important option during pavement reconstruction. The aggregates that a recycling process produces can meet quality standards for new concrete or base materials. Using these materials can result in a cost savings to an agency without loss of performance. Recycling concrete pavement conserves natural resources, energy and valuable lanaiil space. The importance of these benefits warrants that each agency consider recycling during the design of a reconstruction projectGuide Specification Removing and Crushing Old Concrete Pavement (1,5) Description — This item shall consist of breaking, removing, crushing, screening, and stockpiling old portland cement conerete pavement. Old portland cement concrete pavement removed under this item shall be recycled and used in the construction of work under this contract to the maximum extent feasible. Removal — All portland cement concrete pavement, as identified on the plans, is to be removed and salvaged as described herein, Where asphalt resurfacing or patching material is present, the asphalt shall be removed before removing the portland cement concrete pavement. Joint sealing material shall also be removed before removing the portland cement concrete pavement, Asphalt and sealing materials removed from the project shall be disposed of by the contractor in an environmentally acceptable manner. The existing portland cement conerete pavement shall be fractured on location. The contractor shall use mechanical breakers that have the capacity to break the pavement into pieces which can be removed from the site and accommodated in the crushing operation. Breaking and removal equipment or methods that damage culverts under the roadbed will not be permitted. ‘The contractor shall remove the pavement with equipment and methods that do not produce a large quantity of fine material in the salvaged concrete and which excludes subgrade and base material to the maximum extent practicable. The broken material shall be removed and transported to the stockpile site All reinforcing stee! shall be remaved from the salvaged pavement, either prior to or during the crushing ‘operation. All reinforcing steel removed from the pavernent shall become the property of the contractor ‘The contractor shall be dispose of the reinforcing steel Processing Salvaged Concrete — The salvaged concrete shall be crushed and stockpiled. ‘The salvaged concrete is to be crushed to maximum size specified on the plans. The contractor shall adjust his crushing operations to maximize the amount of crushed material retained on the 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) screen, while still maintaining the gradation specified in the plans. Remaining reinforcing steel, dowel bars, dowel bar assemblies, joint filler, bituminous material, and other foreign material shall be removed from the crushed concrete. This foreign material shall be disposed of by the contractor in an environmentally acceptable manner. ‘Any surplus salvaged concrete or unusable crushed material shall become the property of the contractor. Measurement and Payment — Removal and crushing of old pavement shall be based on the square yards (square meters) of concrete pavement removed. Payment for this work will be al the contract price per square yard. Such payment shall constitute ful payment for breaking, removing, hauling, crushing, screening, and stockpiling the old conerete, and for removing and disposing of waste steel, foreign material and incidentals necessary to complete the work. 17| References | 10. 44. 48 Yejanson, W., ‘Recycling of Portland Cement Concrete Pavements,” Synihesis of Highway Practice 154, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council Washington, D.C., December 1989, ‘CPR? Strategy Selection,” TB-015.0, American Gonerete Pavement Association, Skokie, IL, February 1993 Hironaka, M., Cline, G., Shoemaker, N. ‘Recycling Portland Cement Concrete Airport Pavements - An Experimental Investigation, DOT/FAA/PM-86/23, Federal Aviation ‘Administration, Washington, D.C., 1987. Dresser, J., “Rehabilitation of Runway 19-31 Jacksonville International Airport, Jacksonvile, Florida,” Proceedings of the National Seminar ‘on PCC Pavement Recycling and Rehabilitation, FHWA-TS-82-208, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., 1981 “Recycling Portland Cement Concrete,” DP- 47-85, Demonstration Projects Program, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, C., 1985. Krueger, O., "Edens Expressway Pavement Recycling-Urban Paverent Breakup, Removal and Processing," Proceedings of the National ‘Seminar on PCC Pavement Recycling and Rehabilitation, FHWA-TS-82-208, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C. 1981 Considerations,” Proceedings of the National ‘Seminar on PCC Pavement Recycling and Rehabilitation, FHWA-TS-82-208, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C... 1981 Munro, R., “Environmental Concerns in Recycling,” Proceedings of the National ‘Seminar on PCC Pavement Recycling and Rehabilitation, FHWA-TS-82-208, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C. 1981 Solberg, C.., “Interstate 90/94 Rehabilitation in Wisconsin,” Fall Convention, American Conerete Institute, 1985, Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Recycling," Pavement Rehabilitation Manual, Chapter 1, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., Rev 1990. “Reconstruction Optimization Through 12. 13. 14, 15. 16. 47. 18. 19. Concrete Inlays,” TB-013.0, American Conerete Pavement Association, Skokie, IL, January 1993 "Report on The 1992 Tour of European Concrete Highways (USTECH)," American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C., 1993. “Recycling in Roadbuilding," Public Works, Vol. 123 No. 12, Public Works Journal Corp., Ridgewood, NJ, November 1992, p. 78. “Recycling of Demolished Conerete and Masonry,” RILEM, International Union of Testing and Research Laboratories for Materials and Structures, E & FN Spon, New York, NY, 1992, “Removal and Reuse of Concrete," Draft Report, American Concrete Institute, Detroit, Mi, 1992. Strand, D.L., “Designing for Quality - Concrete Pavement Rehabilitation and Recycling on Wisconsin's Interstate Highways, Proceedings from the 3rd International Conference on Concrete Pavement Design and Rehabilitation, Purdue University, West Lafayotte, IN, April 1985, pp. 657-666. “Specifications for Granular Subbase,” lowa Department of Transportation, Ames, IA, Rev. 1992. ‘Laboratory Test Report for Taxiway C at Tinker Airforce Base,” Unpublished, Duit Construction Company, 1992. Stark, D., “The Significance of Pavement Design and Materials in D-Cracking," Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, OH, June 1991 “Problem Statement 175: Effects of Recycled Portland Cement Concrete as Subbase Material on Subsurface Drainage Systems,” Committee A2KO6, Transportation Research Board, Unpublished, 1993. Handbook for the Identification of Alkali-Silica Reactivity in Highway Structures," SHRP-C/FR- 91-101, Strategic Highway Research Program, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C, 1991Other ACPA technical publications on concrete pavement rehabilitation and repair: Utility Cuts and Full-Depth Repairs in Concrete Streets (IS235P) Guidelines for Full-Depth Repair (TBO02P) Guidelines for Partial-Depth Repair (TBO03P) Fast Track Concrete Pavements (TB004P) Guidelines for Unbonded Conerete Overlays (TBOO5P) Guidelines for Bonded Concrete Overlays (TB007P) Diamond Grinding & CPR 2000 (T8008P) Guidelines for Concrete Overlays of Existing Asphalt Pavements (TBO09P) Joint and Crack Sealing and Repair for Concrete Pavements (TB012P) Reconstruction Optimization through Concrete Inlays (TB013P) Pavement Rehabilitation Strategy Selection (TB015P) AASHTO/AGC/ARTBA Task Force 23 Specifications and Guide Procedures: for Concrete 4R Operations (SR806P)This publication is based on the facts, fests, and authorities stated herwin.Itis intended forthe use of professional personnel competent fo evaliate the significance and lirstations of the reported findings and who will accept Fesponsibilty for the application of the rraterial it contains. Obviously, the Ametican Concrete Pavement Association ‘and Portland Cement Association disclaim any and all esponsibility for application of the stated principles or for the laccuracy of any of the sources other than work perlormed or information developed by ether Association. 15420 Old Orchard Road, Suite A100, Skokie, lino, 60077-1059 (347) 066-2272 © American Concrete Pavement Association, 1993 ‘TB-014P