Recycling rubble into aggregates: a model for local governments

Abstract

Old buildings are being demolished to make way for newer and taller ones almost everywhere; Turkey is no exception. New zoning bye-laws and legitimization of squatter settlements has led to the demolition of many old and sometimes historically significant buildings. To assess the situation in Turkey, it's capital city Ankara was chosen as the study area and data pertaining to rubble disposal was collected from one of it's eight municipalities. This data was then analysed with the help of statistical tools to estimate the amount of rubble dumped annually within the jurisdiction of and with the prior permission of the authority concerned. This study revealed that in the absence of a proper control mechanism most of the rubble, which composed the bulk of the demolition waste, was being dumped, and not always in assigned landfills. Based on these findings, the author proposes a model for the benefit of local governments/civic authorities, whereupon wanton dumping of rubble may be controlled. Further, in view of the rubble disposal problems in urban centers it was also considered essential to formulate a method, which would enable recycling of rubble near dumping grounds, with the purpose of producing aggregate for non-structural concrete components requisite in urban development work.