Abstract
This study conducts a comparative analysis between Chilean and Spanish reality in regard to the recycling of aggregates and their reuse in road works and urban roads. The current situation of both countries was reviewed through different sources of information such as technical and legal regulation, projects and executed works, to then validate them in Chile by way of interviews to various professionals in the field of urban and interurban road construction, as well as others belonging to government bodies. Spain has extensive experience on this issue, as it has a culture of recycling and reusing aggregates that has produced excellent results, a situation which was taken into account to compare it to Chile’s reality. The conclusion is that currently, in Chile, although the existence of recycled aggregate use is known, this is not the case on a technical level for professionals in the sector. It lacks a specific government body that is in charge of this issue and does not have appropriate infrastructure for its treatment. The materials with a promising future within the construction sector are the production of crushed granular bases and the creation of low-resistance concretes, which cannot be used, as laws that regulate them are still being drafted.
Highlights
In Chile, the construction industry, has significantly increased its activity
Chile has been characterised by being a country rich with natural resources, especially aggregate, evidence is starting to appear of symptoms of shortage of this stone material in some parts of the country, and there has been an increase in warnings on behalf of some environmentalist groups on the irreversible damage that can be caused to the ecosystem if this material is continued to be extracted in a persistent and uncontrolled way
It establishes the duty that public powers have to monitor the rational use of all natural resources in order to protect and improve quality of life, and to defend and restore the environment, leaning on the essential collective solidarity
Summary
In Chile, the construction industry (in infrastructure works such as building), has significantly increased its activity. They have focused on creating a suitable framework to be able to promote this activity As a result, they have developed studies on waste from construction and demolition works (to look into its applicability as a construction material) and have implemented various laws and technical regulations (in order to view recycled aggregate from this type of waste as another material, adding it to those that already exist). For these purposes, it is necessary to review the Chilean reality on this issue (regulation, expert opinions), to do the same with the mentioned European country, in order to establish a standard of comparison and measure the existing gaps among both with regards to the use of recycled aggregates
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