Sustainable Use of Waste and Byproduct
Disciplines
Engineering
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Quarrying rock requires several processes from mining to refinement that involves screening and crushing operations that result in aggregate fines, otherwise referred to as waste or quarry-by-products (QB). QB are aggregate particles of less than 1⁄4 inch in size that are most commonly produced during screening and crushing processes and then stock-piled as excess product. A survey conducted by the Federal Highway Administration set out to determine how QB were produced and where those QB were being utilized, but met a low response rate of 27% of quarries contacted. The survey indicated that the majority of QB is used effectively in agricultural lime and cement/backfill applications. Yet according to 55% of the surveyed quarries, more than 3,275,000 U.S. tons of QB end up stock-piled. An accumulation of waste and byproduct materials indicates a high demand for more sustainable applications and practices within the quarry-mining and construction industries.
While the current state of knowledge demonstrates an understanding that wasted excess of QB is an economic and environmental problem, there is a minimal grasp on viable solutions. A majority of the data has been extrapolated to account for unresponsive contacts for previously conducted surveys, leaving a gap of valuable information at large. By applying previous practices of synthesizing data, this study intends to survey construction projects and quarries to gain information on QB usage in the state of Georgia. Our goal is to understand how the aggregate byproducts are being produced and where they are being recycled in order to gain a baseline of knowledge. We aim to synthesize our findings on QB production and usage into a comprehensive format to aid firms charged with transportation, construction, and other development projects to find sustainable methods of utilizing QB.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Civil and Environmental Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Jayhyun Kwon
Sustainable Use of Waste and Byproduct
Quarrying rock requires several processes from mining to refinement that involves screening and crushing operations that result in aggregate fines, otherwise referred to as waste or quarry-by-products (QB). QB are aggregate particles of less than 1⁄4 inch in size that are most commonly produced during screening and crushing processes and then stock-piled as excess product. A survey conducted by the Federal Highway Administration set out to determine how QB were produced and where those QB were being utilized, but met a low response rate of 27% of quarries contacted. The survey indicated that the majority of QB is used effectively in agricultural lime and cement/backfill applications. Yet according to 55% of the surveyed quarries, more than 3,275,000 U.S. tons of QB end up stock-piled. An accumulation of waste and byproduct materials indicates a high demand for more sustainable applications and practices within the quarry-mining and construction industries.
While the current state of knowledge demonstrates an understanding that wasted excess of QB is an economic and environmental problem, there is a minimal grasp on viable solutions. A majority of the data has been extrapolated to account for unresponsive contacts for previously conducted surveys, leaving a gap of valuable information at large. By applying previous practices of synthesizing data, this study intends to survey construction projects and quarries to gain information on QB usage in the state of Georgia. Our goal is to understand how the aggregate byproducts are being produced and where they are being recycled in order to gain a baseline of knowledge. We aim to synthesize our findings on QB production and usage into a comprehensive format to aid firms charged with transportation, construction, and other development projects to find sustainable methods of utilizing QB.