Paving the way with recycled glass on the Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade
21 June 2019
The
Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway
upgrade project team is finding new ways to improve sustainability
during construction of Australia’s largest regional infrastructure
project.
Roads and Maritime Services Acting Director Northern Vicky Sisson said
the project team recently completed two successful pavement trials with
recycled glass incorporated into the
concrete mix.
Ms Sisson said a grant for the trials was awarded by the
NSW
Environment Protection Authority and were delivered on the upgrade
between Broadwater and Pimlico.
“Recycled glass has previously been used for ramps and drainage but this
is the first time it has been used on the main carriageway on the
Pacific Highway,” she said.
“The glass was collected locally from
Lismore City Council’s
waste
collection system, which includes household recycling bins and Return
and Earn stations.
“After being sorted, the glass was crushed into sand at Council’s
material recovery facility, delivered to onsite batch plants for
cleaning before being mixed with sand, and used in the normal concreting
process.”
Ms Sisson said the recycled glass sand was used in place of sand
quarried for this purpose, reducing material consumption and waste at
the same time.
“The mix meets
Roads and Maritime Services’ specifications for concrete pavement
and will be tested for quality in the same way as traditional concrete
pavement,” she said.
“The good news is this mix will not require any additional maintenance.
“It’s exciting to see this new market grow and it is hoped recycled
glass is used on more
NSW road projects in the near future.”
NSW Environment Protection Authority’s Executive Director for Waste and
Resource Recovery, Carmen Dwyer, said the $107,636 grant was awarded
through the ‘Waste Less, Recycle More’ program which aims to stimulate
new investment and transform waste and recycling across the state.
“Working with large organisations in the civil construction industry
creates great opportunities to reduce landfill and support new markets
and opportunities for recyclable materials, reducing the impact of
changes in the global recycling market,” Ms Dwyer said.
“These grants aim to foster innovative thinking while removing the
potential risks associated with implementing new processes.”
Ms Sisson said the recycled glass pavement trials completed in May are
one of many similar initiatives on the project, including harvesting
waste
water from work sites to suppress dust.
“Other initiatives include using cleared mulch for sediment controls,
reusing rock and dirt cut from one site to fill other sections, and
fuelling a biomass-fired power generator with green waste,” she said.
“More than 500 root systems and 800 timber pins recovered from the
vegetation removal process have also been reused to stabilise local
river banks and restore fish habitats.
“Initiatives like this demonstrate there is a place for sustainable
construction practices and it’s really exciting to see what new ideas
and innovations are on the horizon.”
The Australian and NSW governments are jointly funding the $4.95 billion
Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade on an 80:20 basis.
For more information about the Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade, contact
the project team on 1800 778 900 (dial 1) or email
w2b@pacificcomplete.com.au
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Source: NSW Government - www.rms.nsw.gov.au
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