Techno-commercial analysis of Fine Recycled Concrete Aggregates (FRCA) derived from construction and demolition waste
Student name: Ms Nivedita Sinha Borthakur
Guide: Dr Lakshmi Raghupathy
Year of completion: 2018
Host Organisation: Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS)
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Ms Harsha Meenawat
Abstract: Cities are growing at a rapid pace and in order to keep up with the demands of urbanisation and industrialisation, the activities of construction industry are also expanding globally. This has led to an increase in the quantity of construction and demolition waste (C&D Waste) which has become a matter of grave concern. The over exploitation of natural resources by the construction industry has brought to the forefront the dire necessity to recycle the C&D waste that is generated due to various projects. Processing of C&D Waste to produce recycled products that can be used in construction works would be equivalent to taking a step forward towards a sustainable construction industry. The reported work aims at studying the technical feasibility of fine recycled concrete aggregates (or recycled sand) obtained from the C&D Waste recycling facility at Burari. The analysis of physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of the aggregates revealed that the aggregates were found to be conforming to most of the standards specified by BIS wherever applicable. The results also highlighted certain gaps like lack of standards for certain properties of the aggregates which made it difficult to determine whether the aggregates are completely safe to be used in structural works. The study also focuses on the commercial aspects of the recycled products obtained from C&D waste. The market dynamics was understood through discussions with five identified stakeholders namely generators of C&D waste, buyers and suppliers of recycled products, stone crushing units and policy makers/ think tanks. Interactions with these stakeholders emphasized the lack of market demand of the recycled products and highlighted the need for initiatives to be taken by both government and private entities to promote the usage of these products. The study concludes by elucidating certain technical and policy recommendations to ensure efficient C&D waste management and recycling in the country.
Keywords: Construction and Demolition Waste, Recycled Sand, Recycled Products, Technical Feasibility, Market Dynamics
