Effects of Brick Content on Crushing Behavior of Subgrade Backfill Material Composed of Construction Waste

Abstract

The use of construction waste as a subgrade backfill material is a very promising approach to solve the problems of the rapidly increasing amount of construction waste and the shortage of construction materials. This paper considers the correlation between the brick content and the crushing behavior of construction waste. First, the composition and physical parameters of construction waste from Xi’an City in northwest China were investigated. Secondly, crushing tests on the coarse particles were conducted to determine the crushing ratios of samples with different brick contents. Crushing over the entire range of particle sizes was tested, and the mass changes for the different size categories were measured. The deviation indices of the samples were then calculated. The crushing ratio and the deviation index fluctuated with the brick content. Finally, the particles in the samples were observed by using a stereomicroscope for visual inspection. The appropriate brick content is suggested, and the California bearing ratio (CBR) test values of the corresponding samples meet the required specifications. The research can be used as a reference for the reuse of construction waste.