Latrobe City Council trials recycled glass in road resurfacing program
Product |
14mm Type H asphalt and 20mm Type SI asphalt. |
Product name and supplier |
Gippsland Asphalt and DASMA recycling. |
Recycled material/s contained in product |
Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and glass. |
Percentage of recycled material in product |
10% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement. 12.5% glass. |
Total amount of recycled materials used |
25 tonnes of recycled glass in the 14mm Type H asphalt (wearing course). 47 tonnes of RAP in the 20mm Type SI asphalt (pavement). |
Product specifications and standards |
The product meets VicRoads standard 407. |
Location |
Intersection of Seymour Street and Franklin Street in Traralgon, selected due to high traffic volumes. |
Project background
This is the Latrobe City Council’s first large scale trial using recycled products in asphalt for their road resurfacing program.. Historically, this program used 100% virgin materials, however the introduction of Gippsland Asphalt’s new asphalt plant has made this trial possible and enabled more recycled materials to be used locally. . Gippsland Asphalt approached Latrobe City Council in 2020 to trial asphalt containing locally sourced recycled glass.
Use of this material in future projects will increase Council's commitment to environmental sustainability through the use of recycled products, establishing Latrobe City as a leader in this area within the wider region. In addition, it will encourage council officers and local suppliers, including other asphalt contractors toto consider using recycled materials in their projects.
Procurement information
The recycled glass was supplied by DASMA, the contractor responsible for processing all of Latrobe City Council’s mixed recycling.
The crushing process closes the loop on recycled glass, allowing it to be cycled back into the community and used in infrastructure projects.
Gippsland Asphalt, the lead contractor and DASMA worked closely together to refine the processing and production of the glass mix to obtain the suitable standard for the application. A test section of asphalt was laid at the Gippsland Asphalt facility for testing prior to installation.
"Project officers collaborated with the council's procurement team to secure an exemption from procurement policy to purchase from Gippsland Asphalt, being the only supplier of asphalt made from locally sourced recycled materials.”
Obtaining additional funding through the Sustainable Infrastructure Fund made trialling this project more attractive for Latrobe City.
Installation and product performance
This is the first-time recycled glass has been used in road surfacing in the municipality. The contractor did not experience any major difference when laying this asphalt compared to conventional asphalt, noting that there was a slight difference in how the product compacted during the drum rolling.
During the planning phase the total amount of asphalt was miscalculated which resulted in the percentage of glass being reduced from the initial specification of 15% to 12.5%. This did not affect the total amount of recycled glass used which was 25 tonnes.
The project involved the removal of the surface and 100mm of underlying pavement, replacing that pavement with a structural asphalt containing 10% RAP (sourced from within the municipality) along with a wearing course containing 12.5% recycled glass.
“Trialling recycled glass in asphalt has been a wonderful success. Applying it to a heavy use site in Traralgon has demonstrated just how capable the product is. We hope to see this concept used more readily across other projects and would like to thank the Victorian Government for their support in the project.”
Lifecycle monitoring and maintenance
The surface will be monitored quarterly for cracking, shoving or defects, none of which have been observed to date. The surface has a sparkle in sunlight, and a pleasant sheen from headlights at night.
The success of this project boosted the council’s confidence to procure recycled materials and they have since completed additional projects using recycled materials. Upcoming asphalt works will be tendered, with the opportunity for suppliers to present proposals for sustainable products, which will be given strong consideration over the use of virgin materials. Despite these materials sometimes costing more to purchase at this stage, Latrobe City Council recognises the value in investing in sustainable materials and is focused on strengthening its circular economy.
The contractor gained valuable experience in the process of producing and refining the glass content to the required specification in the asphalt mix for future projects.
Community feedback has been largely positive with regards to using recycled glass in the mix, including other sustainability focussed organisations and surrounding councils.
More information
For more information about this project, email sustainableprocurement@sustainability.com.au.
