Utilization of Waste Materials in Construction

Recycling has always been a matter of obtaining an economic benefit or of helping the environment. Until the Industrial Revolution when materials became more available than labor, reuse and recycling was commonplace. Nearly 4,000 years ago, there was a recovery and reuse system of bronze scrap in operation in Europe and there is evidence that composting was carried out in China. Since the industrial revolution, the waste production rate has grown greatly. The idea of landfills came about in the 1940s and 1950s. When these huge depositories became available, they were extremely popular because of the ease of tossing unused products away. No one anticipated that soon these landfills would multiply to the extent that they have.

Considering the enormous volume of construction work done annually and the huge amount of waste materials produced each year, the issue of reusing the waste materials in construction is gaining increased attention…