A Critical Review on Potential Use of Waste Foundry Sandin Geotechnical and Pavement Applications

Abstract

In recent years, industrial recycled and waste materials have been utilized considerably in various civil engineering applications. To aid the metal casting process, metal foundries throughout the world use about 105 million tons of foundry sand annually. When the sand becomes unfit for molding, it is discarded in the landfill as waste foundry sand (WFS). India produces around 3 million tons of foundry sand annually. US Environmental protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that applications of WFS in construction works could prevent 20,000 tons of CO2 emissions and save 200 billion BTU of energy. Sustainable reuse of WFS can furnish an economical and environmentally beneficial solution to conserve landfills and virgin sands. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of the reuse potentials and engineering properties of WFS as a suitable material in various geotechnical and pavement applications. This study discusses available information on WFS from a geotechnical perspective. Evaluation and characterization of geotechnical behavior and environmental properties of WFS may necessitate its effective utilization in the construction industry. Some existing recovery processes of WFS and its uses are also discussed. Large-scale application of WFS in various civil engineering works may significantly reduce the quantity of waste generated in the state. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.