Lithuanian Mineral Resources, Their Reserves and Possibilities for Their Usage in Road Building

Authors

  • Skirmantas Skrinskas Dept of Roads, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saulėtekio al. 11, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
  • Vyda Elena Gasiūnienė
  • Alfredas Laurinavičius Dept of Roads, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saulėtekio al. 11, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
  • Igoris Podagėlis Dept of Roads, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saulėtekio al. 11, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3846/bjrbe.2010.30

Keywords:

geology, highway engineering, aggregates, raw materials, road building material properties, rational use of resources, strategy

Abstract

This article has an aim to review the range and value of the underground resources of the Republic of Lithuania, to analyse the quality of local aggregates used for road building purposes and to recommend how local aggregates have to be used in order to give the max benefit for the state and public welfare. All the investigated in detail mineral resources of the Republic of Lithuania make almost one third of the value of the property the country. All the deposits of dolomite, gravel and sand explored in detail and used for road building, construction and other purposes occur under the less than 0.1% of the territory of the country. It was found that extraction and processing of local dolomite and gravel resources up to the max use of their potential properties for road building and other purposes saves over 700 mln LTL (over 200 mln EUR) per year in the cash flow of the Republic of Lithuania. It was determined that the physical and mechanical indices of asphalt concrete, containing crushed pebble and crushed dolomite, differ insignificantly. Based on the comparison to the normative requirements, local aggregate products consumption in asphalt concrete could be increased by extra 8–10% compared to the use of imported materials. It was recommended, that various subbase material mixtures from local, imported or mixed compositions were extra tested and analysed after at least of 350–700 freezing and thawing cycles corresponding to the average of 10–20 years subbase service under Lithuanian mild winter climate conditions with a high number of freezing and thawing cycles. The article gives a complex analysis of the research results versus the condition of the underground mineral resources and presents conclusions valuable for both geologists, road building scientists and engineers as well as decision makers finalising The Strategy for the Optimum Use of Lithuanian Underground Mineral Resources potential and implementing the Communications of the European Commission the Raw Materials Initiative ‒ Meeting our Critical Needs for Growth and Jobs in Europe and Improving Framework Conditions for Extracting Minerals for the EU.

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Published

27.12.2010

How to Cite

Skrinskas, S., Gasiūnienė, V. E., Laurinavičius, A., & Podagėlis, I. (2010). Lithuanian Mineral Resources, Their Reserves and Possibilities for Their Usage in Road Building. The Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering, 5(4), 218-228. https://doi.org/10.3846/bjrbe.2010.30