A Review on Experimental Study of Design of Rigid Pavement by using Recycled Coarse Aggregate with M30 Mix Design

Concrete, a fundamental construction material, boasts attributes like durability, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. However, the depletion of natural resources and the escalating concrete waste production necessitate innovative solutions. In this rapidly industrializing world, recycling construction materials plays a pivotal role in preserving our finite resources. Concrete pavements, widely practiced in developed countries, are relatively new in India. Selecting the right pavement type is crucial, but equally important is determining the optimal pavement thickness based on traffic levels, subgrade conditions, and environmental factors. Unfortunately, many existing methodologies overlook critical factors (such as vehicle loads, support loss, thermal gradients, and environmental stress), leading to inaccurate thickness calculations. In this context, rigid pavement construction using recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) emerges as an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution. In a recent research endeavour, Recycled Coarse Aggregates (RCAs) sourced from demolished material took center stage. These demolished materials are meticulously crushed to a suitable size and repurposed as recycled coarse aggregate. Meanwhile, natural sand continues to serve as the fine aggregate. Notably, the concrete industry consumes a staggering 12.6 billion tons of raw materials annually, making it the world’s largest natural resource consumer. The environmental impact of concrete production—especially the extraction of raw ingredients such as cement, coarse aggregates, and fine aggregates—is considerable. To address this, the study employed a trial-and-error approach for mix design, adhering to relevant standards (such as IS code and IRC: 44-2008). For M30 grade cement concrete, varying percentages (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of recycled coarse aggregates replaced conventional coarse aggregates. Casting used cube and beam models to obtain laboratory test results for rigid pavement to determine how much optimal percentage of RCA can be substituted in place of NCA. By integrating RCAs, we not only mitigate environmental impact but also contribute to sustainable rigid pavement structures.