Sustainable use of recycled concrete aggregates and waste rubber shreds in drainage layer of landfills

This paper presents the experimental results on the performance and use of recycled concrete aggregates derived from old concrete/construction and demolition waste and waste rubber shreds in the drainage layer of engineered landfills. About ten test columns having diameter 160 mm and height 1200 mm were set up in the laboratory. Waste rubber shreds of size range 25 mm to 75 mm and recycled concrete aggregates of size 10 mm to 20 mm were compacted either singly or in combination in the test columns, with a total bed thickness of 500 mm. The performance of the drainage layers (single or in combination) were evaluated by determining the effluent characteristics. Physico chemical parameters of effluent leachate such as pH, conductance, total dissolved solids, turbidity, hardness etc., were determined. From the study it is found that leachate sample passed through the combined drainage layer resulted in improvement of various leachate parameters compared to the test columns containing recycled concrete aggregates or waste rubber shreds media alone.