Laboratory Investigation of Quarry Fines for Use in the Construction Industry

Abstract: Quarry fines are by-products of the aggregate extraction and productionprocesses. Because such fine material cannot be marketed, it becomes aburden for the aggregate industry, resulting in stockpiles of financiallyunexploited material. Even though previous research has been focused onminimizing the generation of quarry fines, far too little attention has beenpaid to maximizing their utilization instead. The aim of this thesis is toinvestigate whether 0/2 mm and 0/4 mm quarry fines can be utilized asalternative materials in the construction industry, specifically in theunbound layer of a road or as filling against a bridge. The methodologyconsisted of four laboratory tests that investigated the water content,particle size distribution and percentage of filler content, optimummoisture content (OMC) and maximum dry density (MDD) relationshipas well as bearing capacity of the materials. The results show that theamount of filler content (<0.063 mm) can significantly impact thematerial’s water-holding capacity as well as its compaction capabilities.After comparing the bearing capacity measurements to the technicalrequirements of the Swedish Transport Administration, it was found thatthe 0/2 mm fits the necessary requirements for use in the unbound layerof either a flexible or rigid pavement but not as filling against a bridge.Further research is needed to determine the material’s relationship towater absorption and resistance to freezing and thawing cycles, as it isdifficult to assess its suitability for road construction solely on theseresults; however, despite its limitations, the study provides some valuableinsights into the potential applications of quarry fines.