Utilization of Waste Materials in Cement-Bound Mixtures for Sustainable Construction

The circular economy (CE) concept promotes the maximization of the use of waste-derived materials, particularly construction and demolition waste (CDW), as secondary raw materials in the production of new construction materials. One of the promising approaches for their valorization is the incorporation of recycled aggregates (RA) into cement-bound granular mixtures (CBGM), which are widely used in road pavement structures. This paper presents the results of laboratory-scale investigation on the mechanical performance of CBGM containing recycled aggregates. The study focused on evaluating the influence of secondary raw materials on the compressive strength and overall mechanical performance of the mixtures. The obtained results indicate that the incorporation of recycled aggregates not only represents an effective strategy for the management and reuse of construction waste, but also contributes to the improvement of the mechanical properties of CBGM. The findings confirm the potential of recycled materials as a viable and technically effective component of cement-bound mixtures, thereby supporting the development of sustainable road engineering and the implementation of circular economy principles.