ABSTRACT
SUMMARY: As natural resources start to dwindle and landfill space gets filled up, the importance of proper waste reduction and management systems increases in importance. One solution to this problem has been studied and implemented by the highway construction industry. The use of waste byproducts as a replacement for virgin materials could provide relief for some of the burden associated with disposal and may provide a cost effective construction product exhibiting all the properties of virgin products. This chapter presents the current situation of waste generation in the United States; also discussed are the current applications of some of the materials in question. The materials covered are: Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA), Fly Ash, Glass, Plastics, Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP), and Slag. While further research is still necessary in the field of utilizing waste materials for construction purposes, there can be no doubt that the utilization of waste materials in the construction industry offers a solution to sustainable waste management practices. The concept of utilizing reclaimed materials as a construction material is particularly relevant in developing countries. Economical and ecological solutions are particularly important in situations where growing populations (and thus also infrastructure) are coupled with finite economic and natural resources.
