Characterization of Construction and Demolition Waste Aiming to Recycle as Coarse and Fine Aggregate in Kolkata Municipal Corporation Area

The escalating urbanization and industrialization of cities have driven extensive demand for construction materials, leading to the depletion of natural resources and eventual surge in construction and demolition waste (CDW). The entire construction process, from raw material extraction to disposal, significantly contributes to environmental degradation. The present study focuses on characterizing recycled aggregates (RA) in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area, emphasizing recycled fine aggregate (RFA) and recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) from CDW. The recycling process involves mechanical crushing, separation, and removal of impurities. The study evaluated aggregate grading, particle size distribution (PSD), specific gravity, water absorption, bulk density, percentage of voids, flakiness, elongation index, and mechanical properties of RA. Notably, the 4.75 mm-sized RFA meets the fine aggregate grading zone II criteria, promising for concrete applications. In case of RCA, 20 mm size aggregate shows better quality as compared to 10 and 40 mm size. The findings suggest that RFA exhibits better quality than RCA.