Crushed brick blends with crushed rock for pavement systems

Construction and demolition materials account for a major proportion of the waste materials present in landfills in Australia. Crushed brick and crushed rock are, however, viable substitute materials for natural resources used as construction materials in engineering applications. Crushed brick is one of the major components of demolition materials. The crushed rock used in this study originates from 'basalt floaters' or surface excavation rock (basalt), which commonly occurs near the surface to the north and west of Melbourne, Australia. The engineering characteristics of various proportions of crushed brick blends with crushed rock obtained from extensive laboratory testing are presented in this paper. The engineering properties obtained were compared with existing local road authority specifications for pavement sub-base or light-duty base material and backfill material for drainage systems to ascertain the potential use of crushed brick blends. The materials for the experimental works were collected from a recycling facility in Victoria, Australia.