Performance Characteristics of Bituminous Concrete with Industrial Wastes as Filler

Granite and marble dust from the stone industry and fly ash from thermal power plants are waste products that are produced in large quantities in India. The physical properties of these materials meet the requirements laid for fillers in Indian specifications. This study explores the possible use of these three industrial wastes, along with hydrated lime and conventional stone dust from quartzite, as filler in bituminous construction. Different test procedures are used to examine the void and clay content in the five fillers. Bituminous concrete (BC) mixes were designed according to the Marshall method at four different percentages of the five types of fillers. The performance of bituminous concrete mixes is studied through moisture susceptibility, static creep, flexural fatigue, and wheel-tracking tests. The results suggest that marble dust, granite dust, and fly ash have good potential for their use as filler in bituminous mixes. Among the three industrial wastes, marble dust is the most promising filler and will prove to be very economical also, as mixes with marble dust have the lowest optimum binder content (OBC).