The use of Construction and Demolition aggregate in bituminous concrete for road base layers

Environmental, economical and technical problems have led to increasing attention being paid to the subject of recycling marginal materials in the construction of road infrastructures. This paper reports the results of a study conducted at the Experimental Road Laboratory of the University of Padova, to determine the mechanical and rheological characteristics of bitumen mixes for road base layers made with aggregate from Construction and Demolition (C&D). For the optimal formulation of the mixes, in addition to the classical Marshall methodology, a gyratory compactor was used that provided useful information on the shear strength of the mixes and therefore on their resistance to permanent deformations. The work is part of a wider context of theoretical, experimental and regulatory studies being developed at the University of Padova, aimed at studying the characteristics of recycled materials from C&D and their possible applications in the construction of roads and airports.