Performance evaluation of recycled concrete aggregates with geosynthetics as an alternative subbase course material in pavement construction

This study investigates the feasibility of using recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) as subbase materials in roads through laboratory experiments. Various physical tests were conducted on the soil subgrade and RCA subbase, followed by cyclic plate load tests to assess the impact of geosynthetic reinforcement on the bearing capacity of RCA materials. The ultimate bearing capacities of different RCA configurations ranged from 186 to 480 kPa, similar to previous studies on natural and recycled aggregates. The geocell-reinforced section exhibited excellent performance, with a measured ultimate bearing capacity of 480 kPa. The Geocell-Geogrid and Geocell-Geotextile sections showed the highest bearing capacity ratios at 2.58 each, indicating superior performance. Reinforced RCA infills demonstrated improved settlement values under repeated loading, with the geocell-geogrid section effectively reducing permanent settlement. The study concludes that RCA can be a substitute for natural aggregates in road subbase materials, mitigating the environmental impact of construction and demolition waste.