THE RECLAIMED AND RECYCLED CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS HANDBOOK

Waste from construction sites excluding excavation spoil is estimated to total 70 million tonnes a year (Howard Humphreys and Partners, 1994). The guidance in this handbook complements the strategic objectives for sustainable waste management in England and Wales as given in "Making waste work" Department of Environment 1995. The introductory chapter of this handbook includes the environmental and economic advantages of using reclaimed and recycled materials; environmental policy and management systems; and current initiatives in increasing usage. Issues to address are examined in chapter 2, these include: meeting performance criteria and the need for specifications and standards and the current position; using waste management responsibilities, licensing, exemptions. In chapter 3, the opportunities in construction including road construction and earthworks are outlined. The types of materials are discussed in individual chapters, and those include: aggregates; blast furnace slag; bricks and blocks; China clay waste; colliery spoil; concrete; excavation spoil; furnace bottom ash; reclaimed, recycled glass; municipal solid waste; pulverized fuel ash (pfa); road pavement materials; and spent oil shale.