Co-valorisation of local materials tuff and red brick waste mixture for use in road construction

Tuff, a type of volcanic rock, is inherently a non-renewable material due to its prolonged formation process in nature and its slow regeneration rate. Its application in road construction hinges on the sustainable use of local resources and the provision of sustainable alternatives should tuff reserves deplete. This study explores the sustainable employment of tuff in desert road construction by integrating red brick waste into the tuff. By adding red brick waste to the tuff in varying proportions (10%, 20%, 30%), we aim to achieve dual objectives: enhancing the sustainability of tuff usage in road construction and mitigating environmental pollution from red brick waste. We focused our investigation on several key physical and mechanical properties including the Modified Proctor, California Bearing Ratio (CBR index, ICBR), and Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS). The findings indicate that a 20% inclusion of red brick waste improves the geotechnical properties and mechanical behavior of the tuff, yielding a UCS of 5.05 MPa and an ICBR of 83.53%. Meanwhile, a 30% inclusion delivers acceptable results, with a UCS of 2.8 MPa and an ICBR of 80.19%, aligning with requisite standards.