• About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • List Stock
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Newsletter
SUBSCRIBE
MARKETPLACE
  • Latest News
  • Features
    • Sustainability
    • Diversity
    • Community Support
    • Technology Update
    • Traffic Management and Safety
  • Contracts and tenders awarded
  • Regions
    • ACT
    • Australia
    • New South Wales
    • Northern Territory
    • Queensland
    • South Australia
    • Tasmania
    • Victoria
    • Western Australia
  • Events
  • Resources
No Results
View All Results
  • Latest News
  • Features
    • Sustainability
    • Diversity
    • Community Support
    • Technology Update
    • Traffic Management and Safety
  • Contracts and tenders awarded
  • Regions
    • ACT
    • Australia
    • New South Wales
    • Northern Territory
    • Queensland
    • South Australia
    • Tasmania
    • Victoria
    • Western Australia
  • Events
  • Resources
No Results
View All Results
Home

Research into coffee waste covers new ground in road construction

by Staff Writer
July 6, 2016
in Industry News, Latest News, Technology Update
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
A new research project at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology is investigating the viability of using recycled coffee grounds in road construction.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A new research project at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology is investigating the viability of using recycled coffee grounds in road construction.It all began with a cup of coffee.

During regular visits to cafés around Melbourne Arul Arulrajah took note of what happened to the remnants of the ground coffee used to create his morning pick-me-up.

“I see the baristas throwing away the used coffee grounds and I think, ‘why not look at this as an engineering material?’” he says.

Prof. Arulrajah leads the geotechnical group in the university’s Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure at Swinburne University of Technology’s Hawthorn campus and has been investigating the use of recycled materials in road construction.

“I’ve done a lot of research on recycling materials for road construction and the different types of waste products that can potentially be used in pavements or geotechnical applications. Coffee just came about because I’m an avid coffee drinker,” Prof. Arulrajah tells Roads & Civil Works Magazine. 

Using his own expertise in the area and embracing his love for coffee, Prof. Arulrajah and PhD candidate Teck-Ang Kua have been investigating the potential of used coffee grounds as a material in road construction, specifically subgrades.

Cafés in the local Hawthorn area contributed used coffee grounds to the research, which have been used extensively in early experimental phases to test the suitability of the organic waste as a component in the non-structural embankment fill material.

The material underwent extensive laboratory testing until Prof. Arulrajah and Mr. Kua came up with a suitable solution.

The coffee was dried in a 50 degree Celsius oven for five days, then sieved to filter out lumps. They then mixed seven parts coffee grounds with three parts slag, followed by a liquid alkaline solution to bind everything together.

The mixture was compressed into cylindrical blocks that proved strong enough to use as a subgrade material due to its high organic content, low maximum dry densities and high optimum moisture content.

“We’ve got it up to the level where it compares to other road binder materials. We’re moving into tests to simulate how the material would behave under true traffic conditions.

The question now is: what do we have to do to make sure it doesn’t break down over time?”

He explains that the type of coffee bean, whether it is from Africa or South America, didn’t affect the results as there were little to no variants between the different types from an engineering material perspective.

Prof. Arulrajah admits that recycling coffee grounds into road construction is a “novel” idea and one he has not seen or heard of before. However, it is a sustainable concept that he is passionate about.

“On average, the cafés we collect from dispose of about 150 kilograms of coffee grounds per week. We estimate that the coffee grounds from Melbourne’s cafés could be used to build five kilometres of road per year. This would reduce landfill and the demand for virgin quarry materials,” he says.

“This subgrade has very low carbon properties because there’s no cement in there. It’s a fairly green solution and that’s another angle I’m looking at in terms of its use.”

Prof. Arulrajah says that with the number of cafés already in Melbourne, and more opening regularly, it means that there are always large amounts of used coffee that can be diverted from landfill.

He adds that there is a lot of potential to take the research further, and he is exploring options.

“Right now, we’re just looking at subgrades, but we have a few ideas within the road construction space down the track,” he says.

“What we can do is tick all the boxes from an experimental point of view, but I hope to possibly get a commercial entity on board.”

The research is a collaboration with Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand; Southeast University, Nanjng, China; and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. The results were published in the journal Construction and Building Materials.

Premium Ad
20

POA

CATERPILLAR AP-600

  • » Listing Type: Used
Location marker The shape of a location marker

East Wagga Wagga, NSW

02 8999 3786
MORE DETAILS
23

$165,000

2017 CATERPILLAR AP300FLRC

  • » Listing Type: Used
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Acacia Ridge, QLD

07 3171 1725
MORE DETAILS
7

$104,500

2011 CATERPILLAR AP-300

  • » Listing Type: Used
Location marker The shape of a location marker

South Guildford, WA

08 6500 0978
MORE DETAILS
18

$192,500

2017 CATERPILLAR AP355FLRC

  • » Listing Type: Used
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Acacia Ridge, QLD

07 3171 1725
MORE DETAILS
18

POA

CATERPILLAR AP500E

  • » Listing Type: Used
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Moorebank, NSW

02 6171 3138
MORE DETAILS
12

$202,400

2011 DYNAPAC F1000W

  • » Listing Type: Used
  • » Category: Tyred
  • » Max paving width - mm: 7,925
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Acacia Ridge, QLD

07 3073 8184
MORE DETAILS
13

$507,650

2011 TEREX CR452RX

  • » Listing Type: Used
  • » Category: Tyred
  • » Max paving width - mm: 8,500
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Acacia Ridge, QLD

07 3073 8184
MORE DETAILS
6

$304,220

2008 TEREX CR662RM

  • » Listing Type: Used
  • » Category: Crawler
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Acacia Ridge, QLD

07 3073 8184
MORE DETAILS
11

$353,650

2011 TEREX CR352RX

  • » Listing Type: Used
  • » Category: Tyred
  • » Max paving width - mm: 6,100
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Acacia Ridge, QLD

07 3073 8184
MORE DETAILS
5

$110,000

2007 BLAW-KNOX PF150

  • » Listing Type: Used
  • » Category: Tyred
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Acacia Ridge, QLD

07 3073 8184
MORE DETAILS
1

$15,000

BLAW-KNOX BK 170

  • » Listing Type: Used
  • » Category: Tyred
  • » Max paving width - mm: 1,370
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Eltham, VIC

03 8373 7151
MORE DETAILS
4

$8,000

1974 BLAW-KNOX BK-20

  • » Listing Type: Used
  • » Category: Tyred
  • » Max paving width - mm: 2,440
Location marker The shape of a location marker

Eltham, VIC

03 8373 7151
MORE DETAILS

Related Posts

ANA Asphalts’ new asphalt and spraying division has been given a big boost with its new SRE telescopic sprayer. Images: ANA Asphalts.

SRE: The first step

by Tom O'Keane
July 15, 2025

A handover event has cemented a first in what’s expected to be a long stretch of milestones for both ANA...

Sydney Metro has shortlisted three consortia for works to deliver an integrated station and precinct development, which includes the design and construction of the new metro station at Sydney Olympic Park.

Shortlist revealed for Sydney Metro station contract

by Tom O'Keane
July 15, 2025

Sydney Metro has shortlisted three consortia for works to deliver an integrated station and precinct development, which includes the design...

HT Road Surfacing’s RP175ex on site. Images: Astec.

Joining the Astec family

by Tom O'Keane
July 14, 2025

HT Road Surfacing, a proud family-owned and local company, has purchased its first Astec unit. Representatives from HT Road Surfacing...

Join our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.
Catering to Australia’s civil and road construction industry, Roads & Infrastructure Magazine is a key source for industry decision-makers looking to keep up to date with important issues, developments, projects and innovations shaping the industry today.

Subscribe to our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.

About Roads And Infrastructure

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Latest Magazine
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Collection Notice
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Topics

  • Latest News
  • Contracts and tenders awarded
  • Project Report
  • Events
  • Special Features

Our TraderAds Network

  • Arbor Age
  • Australian Car Mechanic
  • Australian Mining
  • Australian Resources & Investment
  • Big Rigs
  • Bulk Handling Review
  • Bus News
  • Cranes & Lifting
  • Earthmoving Equipment Magazine
  • EcoGeneration
  • Energy Today
  • Food & Beverage
  • Fully Loaded
  • Global Trailer
  • Inside Construction
  • Inside Waste
  • Inside Water
  • Landscape Contractor Magazine
  • Manufacturers' Monthly
  • MHD Supply Chain
  • National Collision Repairer
  • OwnerDriver
  • Power Torque
  • Prime Mover Magazine
  • Quarry
  • Roads Online
  • Rail Express
  • Safe To Work
  • The Australian Pipeliner
  • Trade Earthmovers
  • Trade Farm Machinery
  • Trade Plant Equipment
  • Trade Trucks
  • Trade Unique Cars
  • Tradie Magazine
  • Trailer Magazine
  • Trenchless Australasia
  • Waste Management Review

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited

No Results
View All Results
NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE
MARKETPLACE
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Contracts and tenders awarded
    • Project Report
  • Features
    • Sustainability
    • Diversity
    • Community Support
    • Technology Update
    • Traffic Management and Safety
  • Events
  • Regions
    • ACT
    • Australia
    • New South Wales
    • Northern Territory
    • Queensland
    • South Australia
    • Tasmania
    • Victoria
    • Western Australia
  • Latest Magazine
  • Resources
  • Marketplace
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • List Stock

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited