Performance characteristics of recycled concrete aggregate as an unbound pavement material

Use of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) as a pavement material is one of the most sustainable engineering applications for the pavement industry. Investigation on the performance characteristics of RCA, such as elastic and plastic deformations of RCA is therefore, needed to assess RCA's application as an unbound pavement material. In this study, repeated load tri-axial (RLT) tests were conducted to investigate the response of RCA to elastic and plastic deformations under dynamic loads. The elastic and plastic properties were analysed through the ‘resilient modulus’ and the accumulation of plastic strain, respectively, at different confining stresses and moisture contents of the RCA specimens. The results from the tests revealed a steady gain of stiffness of the RCA specimens with an increase of load cycles at low moisture contents, high confining pressures and high vertical axial pressure.