Ashghal uses 50% recycled materials in road projects

The recycling initiatives of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) are witnessing steady growth and having a significant impact in terms of sustainable practices in Qatar's construction sector.

According to figures released by Ashghal, the Quality & Safety Department (QSD) has achieved an accomplishment rate of 50% with regard to the use of recycled materials in its road construction projects. This exceeds the earlier target of 20%.

Stating this in a tweet Sunday, Ashghal said the recycled materials used in its projects included 10mn tonnes in road projects and 720,000 tonnes in expressway projects.

“Ashghal prioritises sustainability and recycling efforts as a main objective of its corporate strategy for 2018-2023, along with the efforts of various entities in Qatar to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030 sustainability objectives in order to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental preservation,” the authority stressed.

Dr Ali al-Marri, QSD manager, said major Ashghal initiatives to achieve sustainability include construction material recycling, using reclaimed asphalt as well as excavation & demolition waste, and using recycled alternative materials such as wadi aggregate and ground tyre rubber in projects.

Ashghal had earlier implemented a Recycling and Sustainability Key Performance Indicator (KPI) across all its projects, mandating that completed construction works must include at least 20% recycled materials. The figure achieved so far is 50%, as revealed by Ashghal on social media Sunday.

The authority has also established strategically located construction material recycling yards to optimise resource efficiency. This has allowed the processing and recycling of construction waste materials such as excavation materials, demolition and concrete waste, and reclaimed asphalt from road upgrades, etc.