Pulp & paper waste could be used in road construction
Researchers in Canada have been researching ways of using pulp and waste from the paper industry to aid in the future of sustainable road construction.
A pair based out of The University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan have been looking into how paper waste can be used as a filler for cement - a process that has been in demand within the construction industry for a number of years.
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The team are particularly interested in the application of wood-based pulp mill fly ash (PFA), a non-hazardous waste product that was selected after the pair worked with "a number of industrial by-products."
The North American pulp and paper industry reportedly generates over one million tons of ash annually by burning wood in power boilers units traditionally used in energy production.
When transferred over to a landfill, the producer shoulders the cost of about $25 (£18) to $50 (£36) per ton, which has prompted producers to seek alternative uses for these by-products.
“Anytime we can redirect waste to a sustainable alternative, we are heading in the right direction,” said Dr Sumi Siddiqua, associate professor at UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering.
Dr Chinchu Cherian, a post-doctoral researcher and the co-author of the paper, said: “The porous nature of PFA acts like a gateway for the adhesiveness of the other materials in the cement that enables the overall structure to be stronger and more resilient than materials not made with PFA.
“Through our material characterisation and toxicology analysis, we found further environmental and societal benefits that producing this new material was more energy-efficient and produced low carbon emissions.”
The new research explores the state of PFA as an economically sustainable, low-carbon alternative to traditional construction materials such as cement, specifically for use in road construction.
Dr Siddiqua has highlighted concerns from the construction industry about the potential for toxins to leak out of the reused materials.
She said: “Our findings show that because the cementation bonds developed through the use of the untreated PFA are so strong, little to no release of chemicals is apparent. Therefore, it can be considered as a safe raw material for environmental applications.”
Dr Cherian has revealed further research may be necessary in order to establish guidelines for PFA modifications to ensure its consistency, but she is confident their research is on the right track.
She said the research indicates the potential economic and environmental benefits of using wood pulp and waste in road construction as well as aiding in making future projects cost-neutral.
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She added there were "not just benefits for the industry," but the findings could stand to "benefit society as a whole by reducing waste going to landfills and reducing our ecological footprints.”
The pair's findings have been published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.
The following video details the process and research the pair have conducted:
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