Performance of Sidewalk Pavement Containing Waste-Wood Chips

Abstract Laboratory and field tests were conducted to identify the properties and perform a durability assessment of a sidewalk pavement material containing wood chips. This material can be made by crushing construction waste and the by-products of harvested wood and combining it with polyurethane resin. Urethane-to-wood-chip weight ratios of 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 were used in the laboratory tests. The sidewalk pavement manufactured with wood chips was tested to identify its tensile strength, elasticity, permeability, flammability, and elution. The tensile strength of the pavements containing air-dried wood chips was between 0.2 N/mm2 and 1.1 N/mm2, and smaller amounts of urethane resin increased the pavement’s strength reduction during flooding. The coefficient of permeability was between 0.5 and 0.8 mm/s and satisfied the 0.1 mm/s specification required for the construction of permeable pavements. The golf ball (GB) and steel ball (SB) coefficients tended to increase with an increase in the use of resin. A combustible gas torch experiment indicated no problems associated with flammability, and the measured skid resistance (BPN 72 to 77) of the wood-chip pavement satisfied the requirement for the minimum skid resistance value (BPN > 50) of sidewalk pavement. The field construction of sidewalk pavement using wood chips was also executed, and the results of a follow-up study conducted for 6 months after construction showed deterioration of the wood chips, especially for smaller resin ratios. It was found that the changes in surface height, elasticity, and permeability coefficient of pavements with resin ratios of 0.6 and 0.8 satisfied the reference requirements.