The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) is developing a framework to assess and implement recycled materials, such as plastic, crushed glass and crumb rubber, into transport infrastructure and roads for South Australian councils.
The project was initiated by Green Industries South Australia (GISA) and aims to build local councils’ confidence in incorporating recycled materials/products into road networks through the development of a systematic and customised assessment and implementation framework.
The project consists of the following key components:
- Knowledge capture of innovative and sustainable pavement materials containing recycled materials (tyres, plastic, and glass) via evaluating national and international knowledge, standards, specifications, and guidelines that incorporate recycled materials
- Development of a systematic and customised assessment and implementation framework to increase the uptake of recycled material (glass, plastic, rubber) in the South Australian road network
- Environmental implications of incorporating recycled materials into South Australia road infrastructure and case studies
- Life cycle assessment on pavement designs containing optimised or fixed percentages of recycled plastic, crushed glass, and crumb rubber
The project involves a survey to identify the barriers and opportunities for local councils to increase their uptake of recycled materials.
The survey is divided into four sections as follows:
- Waste Stream Analysis
- Specifications and Standards
- Environmental Implications
- Procurement and Fundings
Each section is further divided into a subsection per recycled material (glass, plastic and crumb rubber).
A copy of the survey is available here: ARRB – GISA Survey Recycled materials in councils transport infrastructure and roads.
Please email completed surveys to James Grenfell, Principal Professional, Sustainability and Material Performance, ARRB by 25 October 2021.
