Use of Marble Waste as A Road Base Material in Different Size Ranges

Abstract

Along with the economic loss caused by the non-use of waste worldwide, uncontrolled storage also brings an additional cost. Today, the rapid increase in the population and the rapid depletion of natural resources in nature lead us to research the recycling possibilities of waste materials. In this context, using marble waste in road pavements is one of the best areas of use. This study investigated the suitability of substituting the marble waste obtained from a marble quarry in Bilecik, Turkey, in the road base layer instead of the aggregate, which was used all the time in the base layer in highway construction at different intervals. The physical tests carried out in this context have met the base material limit conditions of the Turkish Highways Technical Specification (THTS). Mixtures obtained in modified Proctor experiments, and optimum water contents (wopt) and maximum dry unit volume weight (rdmax) were determined for each mixture. California bearing ratio (CBR) values remained above the limit value of all mixtures for 0 days and 7 days of curing according to the specifications for THTS. In addition, CBR values were obtained after freezing-thawing at 4, 12, and 20 cycle numbers. According to the freeze-thaw test results, there was an increase in CBR values in the first 4 cycles and a decrease in the following cycles. Still, all the test results obtained remained above the limit value according to the specifications for THTS. Aggregate unit cost constitutes approximately twice the unit cost of marble waste. Besides, this difference has created an economic equality distance of 18.9 km. Therefore, a marble quarry, a road construction site within the calculated economic equality distance and marble waste material will provide a financial gain for our country. With the evaluation of quarry waste all over the world, we can leave a liveable world with rich raw material resources and a strong economy for future generations.