Recycling waste mineral powders in new sustainable pavement solutions

The use of waste materials in the construction of pavements is a growing field due to the environmental and economic benefits. Previous research identifies aluminosilicates as minerals present in construction waste and mine tailings, they are potential candidates for geopolymer production. In this thesis basalt powder was chosen for the geopolymerization procedure and the fabrication of novel artificial aggregates utilizing 3D printed moulds. An experimental investigation is carried out to evaluate the utilization of the created geopolymeric artificial aggregates as a pavement microsurfacing. The product's strength, soundness, durability, skid resistance, and lastly the texture of the microsurfacings are examined. The performance of artificial aggregates is compared to that of other materials, and the strengths and weaknesses are identified.