An investigation into the uses of trommel fines produced from recycling of construction and demolition waste

Waste recycling companies segregate construction demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste to extract recy-clates, but still, large quantities are landfilled. This includes a potentially useful smaller fraction known as trommel fines (TF). This paper presents potential uses of TF as building materials and horticultural media. A favourable 43.5 MPa concrete compressive strength was observed for 10 % replacement of Sand with TF, while a combination of 50/50(m/m) brickearth/TF soil composite achieved a compressive strength of 3.41 MPa, rep-resenting negligible reduction compared to controls. A 70-days tomato growth trial revealed that 20 % amendment with compost can provide sufficient nutrients for satisfactory plant and root growth.