Abstract
The road construction sector is one of the most raw material-intensive sectors in existence. As a result, it has a significant impact on the environment. For this reason, there are several research projects in which industrial by-products are used as raw materials. In turn, energy production from biomass combustion is considered to be one of the most promising energy sources. However, this type of energy produces a number of wastes that need to be treated, such as biomass bottom ash. This research evaluates the properties of biomass bottom ash for use as a filler in bituminous mixtures and quantifies the environmental advantages of its use. For this purpose, the chemical composition of the ashes was analysed and their properties were physically characterised to confirm their suitability as a filler. Subsequently, the advantages of its processing compared to limestone filler, lime, or cement were calculated with SimaPro software. The results showed acceptable properties of biomass bottom ash for use as a filler, as well as a drastic reduction in the environmental impact of its processing. In short, this research presents the basis for the development of further bituminous mixtures with biomass bottom ash, reducing the extraction of raw materials and avoiding landfill disposal.
Highlights
The results showed that the biomass bottom ash had suitable chemical and physical properties for use in bituminous mixtures and that its processing to obtain a marketable filler had a lower environmental impact than the treatment of the commercial materials mentioned above
Cement, or lime were not analysed as they are commercial materials and only the procedure to obtain them environmentally is compared with the processing that must be carried out on biomass bottom ash to obtain a filler that can be used in bituminous mixtures
This section describes the results of the tests detailed in the methodology. These tests correspond to the chemical and physical characterisation of the biomass bottom ash and the evaluation of the environmental effects produced in the treatment of the ash to obtain a marketable filler in comparison with other commercial materials
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The construction sector is essential for society, as it brings important benefits to the population. This sector is one of the most polluting sectors in existence. This is due to the fact that it uses large quantities of raw materials, with their extraction and processing resulting in greenhouse gas emissions [1]
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