How can Industrial Materials be used in public works projects?
As is the case with other materials, each industrial material stream has characteristics which are a good “fit” for certain applications but not necessarily for others. Some of these uses are well-known to engineers; for example, substituting coal fly ash or slag cement for Portland cement improves the performance of the concrete. Others are less well-known, such as better compaction that can result from using foundry sands as subbase or structural fill. The IRC is working with a number of parties, including the federally-funded Recycled Materials Resource Center (RMRC), to assemble technical information and design guidance into accessible formats through a new website under development at www.industrialresourcescouncil.org. Many of the proven applications for industrial materials are in the construction industry, where these materials are often suitable for local public works projects. (An Industrial Materials Matrix, which contains an “at a glance” view of project types and suitable
