Opportunities exist across Canada for the greater use of recycled aggregates in road construction and other major infrastructure projects which, in turn, can deliver economic and environmental benefits. However, the lack of national standardization and specifications between levels of government and between jurisdictions leads to inconsistent application and a wide variability in the usage of recycled aggregates on infrastructure projects. As a result, the ability of governments to integrate recycled aggregate through procurement is limited. Can a national, harmonized approach and set of standard specifications be developed to maximize the use of recycled aggregates for road construction?
This virtual workshop, hosted by Circular Economy Leadership Canada in collaboration with Circular Innovation Council and other industry partners, brought together more than 90 key stakeholders from across Canada to explore the potential for greater use of recycled aggregates in road construction projects in Canada. Breakout group discussions went deeper into the topic to better understand the barriers and opportunities for maximizing the use of recycled concrete aggregates for road construction in Canada.
Workshop objectives:
Examine the economic and environmental (GHG and waste reduction) benefits of using recycled aggregates in road construction.
Gain insights into the existing standards, specifications, and guidelines, including allowances that affect the current variable of use of recycled aggregates in road construction, as well as explore the opportunities to harmonize standards of practice in Canada.
Engage in conversations to identify barriers / challenges to increasing the use of recycled aggregates in road construction).
Share case studies and examples from across Canada to understand where and in what applications recycled aggregates are successful.
Through case studies and conversations, explore how public procurement can be an enabler to support greater uptake of recycled aggregates to drive desired outcomes.
Speakers
Paul Shorthouse, Managing Director, Circular Economy Leadership Canada
Leandro Sanchez, Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa
Omran Maadani, Research Officer, National Research Council Canada (NRC)
Mohammad Shafiee, Research Officer, Road and Pavement Engineering, National Research Council Canada (NRC)
Jo-Anne St. Godard, Executive Director, Circular Innovation Council
Robert Klimas, Senior Engineer, Engineering & Construction Services, City of Toronto
Workshop participants…
Learned about applications for recycled aggregates in roads, including new opportunities, risks, and key considerations.
Explored opportunities to improve the value proposition and economic impact of infrastructure projects through the adoption of lower carbon and recycled materials.
Connected with leading organizations, governments and industry leaders and share through peer-to-peer exchanges and real-world case studies, industry best practice applications, and trials.
Examined how circular public procurement can be leveraged to deliver cost savings, environmental commitments (greenhouse gas emissions and waste reduction) and community benefits.
Provided input that will help shape future outcome-based model specifications and standards.
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