Resilient and Mechanistic Evaluation of Cement-Recycled Glass Treated Lateritic Soil for Sustainable Pavement Design

Abstract

Waste glass has shown promising results when used to stabilize soil, particularly in pavement applications. The elastic behavior of cement with recycled glass powder (RGP) in the lateritic soils has not been investigated yet. This study illustrates the potential use of RGP as a sustainable substitute for soil stabilization in urban pavement layers. The resilient behavior of clayey soils from southern Brazil, treated with high-early strength cement at contents of 3% and 6%, and RGP at contents of 3%, 6%, and 12%, was investigated. Resilient modulus (MR) tests were performed on untreated soil, soil–cement, and soil–cement-RGP specimens. Five MR prediction models were calibrated using data from repeated load triaxial (RLT) tests. Using Multiple Layer Elastic Analysis (AEMC) software, the useful life of an urban pavement was estimated, considering the properties of the subgrade, subbase, and base layers. Results showed that adding 3% RGP to cement-soil mixtures significantly improved the MR. Mechanistic analysis demonstrated that soil–cement-RGP mixtures C3RGP3 and C3RGP6 performed with a higher service life than cement-soil mixture C3, and soil–cement-RGP mixture C6RGP3 achieved a higher service life than cement-soil mixture C6. These findings underscore RGP’s effectiveness in enhancing pavement material properties. The results align with the integration of geotechnical engineering research and Brazilian national agencies, providing an effective alternative to traditional methods that benefits organizations such as the National Department of Transport Infrastructure, the National Land Transport Agency, the Road Research Institute, and highway contractors.