USE OF WASTE PLASTICS IN ROAD PAVEMENT

By Vezhoyi Ringa

Prof Ram Meghe College of Engg. & Management, Badnera

CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

NEED OF STUDY

PLASTIC ROAD

MATERIAL USED

METHOD OF MIXING

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

plastic waste is increasing due to increase in population, urbanization and development

Plastics can be divided in to two major categories: thermoset and thermoplastics.

The disposal of waste plastic has become a serious problem globally due to their non-biodegradability.

Plastic roads mainly use plastic carry bags, disposable cups and bottles that are collected from garbage dumps.

When mixed with hot bitumen, plastics melt to form an oily coat over the aggregate and the mixture is laid on the road surface like a normal tar road.

NEED OF STUDY

Intensity of the traffic is increasing

Need of better quality of road pavement

Disposal of waste plastic is a major problem.

Waste plastic bags causes environmental pollution

IMPACT OF PLASTIC WASTES ON OUR ENVIROMENT

POOR QUALITY OF ROAD

But we can minimize these problems by using plastic waste in road construction…

PLASTIC ROAD

Plastic road mainly use plastic carry-bags, disposable cups and plastic bottles that are melted to form an oily coat over the aggregate and the mixture is laid on the road surface like a normal tar road.

MATERIAL USED1) AGGREGATES:

The aggregate used for road work should be hard, tough, durable and hydrophobic for bituminous surface.

2) BITUMEN:Bitumen is used as binders in pavements constructions.

3) WASTE PLASTICSPlastic bags, plastic bottles, protective packing etc.

METHOD OF MIXING:

1. DRY PROCESS

2. WET PROCESS

DRY PROCESS

Plastics waste like bags, bottles etc are cut into a size between

2.36 mm and 4.75mm using shredding machine.

The aggregate mix is heated to 1700C. and then it is

transferred to mixing chamber.

Similarly the bitumen is to be heated up to a maximum of 1600C.

At the mixing chamber, the shredded plastics waste is added

over the hot aggregate.

The plastics waste coated

aggregate is mixed with hot

bitumen.

WET PROCESS

Waste plastics by direct mixing with hot bitumen at 160°C.

Mechanical stirrer is needed.

Since the wet process require a lot of investment and bigger plants so not commonly used.

ADVANTAGES:

1) The load withstanding property increases. 2) Better resistance towards rain water and cold weather.3) No stripping and no potholes.4) Increase binding and better bonding of the mix.5) No leaching of plastics.

6) For 1km road, 1 ton of plastic (10 lakh carry bags) is used and 1 ton of bitumen is saved.

7) The maintenance cost of road is almost nil.

8) Disposal of waste plastic will no longer be a problem.

DISADVANTAGES

1. Cleaning processToxics present in the co-mingled plastic waste would start leaching.

2. During the road laying processIn the presence of chlorine will definitely release noxious HCL gas.

3.After the road layingThe components of the road, once it has been laid, are not inert.

DEVELOPMENTSThe office of the chief minister, New Delhi has a given a

green signal to a private company for supply of bitumen

mixed with plastic which is used for construction of roads.

The company has already constructed a two-km road in

Bangalore with bitumen mixed with plastic.

The government of Karnataka was pleased by the success of

the experiment and the state chief minister himself

inaugurated the field test of construction 500 m of road in

three places in and around Bangalore with the help of PWD

using the innovative technology.

CONCLUSIONRoads laid with plastic waste mix are found to be better than

the conventional ones.

Plastic will increase the melting point of the bitumen.

Rainwater will not seep through because of the plastic in the

tar. So, this technology will result in lesser road repairs.

Use of the innovative technology not only strengthened the

road construction but also increased the road life.

Help to improve the environment.

Plastic road would be a boon for India’s hot and extremely

humid climate where durable and eco-friendly road is

required.