Plastic waste into road constructions.

2. • Plastic is everywhere in today’s lifestyle. It is used for packaging,
protecting, serving, and even disposing of all kinds of consumer goods.
With the industrial revolution, mass production of goods started and plastic
seemed to be a cheaper and effective raw material. Today, every vital
sector of the economy starting from agriculture to packaging, automobile,
building construction, communication or infotech has been virtually
revolutionised by the applications of plastics. Use of this non-biodegradable
(according to recent studies, plastics can stay unchanged for as long as
4500 years on earth) product is growing rapidly and the problem is what to
do with plastic-waste. Studies have linked the improper disposal of plastic
to problems as distant as breast cancer, reproductive problems in humans
and animals, genital abnormalities and even a decline in human sperm
count and quality. If a ban is put on the use of plastics on emotional
grounds, the realcost would be much higher, the inconvenience much
more, the chances of damage or contamination much greater. The risks to
the family health and safety would increase and, above all the
environmental burden would be manifold. Hence the question is not
‘plastics vs no plastics’ but it is more concerned with the judicious use and
re-use of plastic-waste.
INTRTODUCTION:-

3. • Bitumen is a useful binder for road construction. Different grades
of bitumen like 30/40, 60/70 and 80/ 100 are available on the basis
of their penetration values. The steady increase in high traffic
intensity in terms of commercial vehicles, and the significant
variation in daily and seasonal temperature demand improved road
characteristics. Any improvement in the property of the binder is
the needed. Today the availability of the waste plastics is
enormous, as the plastic materials have become part and parcel of
daily life. They either get mixed with Municipal Solid Waste and/or
thrown over land area. If not recycled, their present disposal is
either by land filling or by incineration. Both the processes have
certain impact on the environment. Under this circumstance, an
alternate use for the waste plastics is also the needed. On heating
at 100-160°C, plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene and
polystyrene, soften and exhibit good binding properties. Blending
of the softened plastic with bitumen results in a mixed that is
amenable for road laying.

4. A small step towards…

5. Polymer 1995 2001-02 2006-07
Polyethylene 823 1835 3267
Polypropylene 340 855 1790
Polyvinylchloride 489 867 1287
Polyethylene terepthalate 34 140 289
others 203 647 1415
Plastics consumption

6. Others
PE, PP, PS
PET
T
O
X
I
C
I
T
Y
I
N
C
R
E
A
S
E
S

7. Awareness
Plastics – not a virus
but
A wonder material00
Common man’s friend
Pollution
Not careless but cared – less

8. Reduction
in use
ReuseRecycleDestruction
by
Land filling
Incineration
Limited
50 %
Unlimited
New
products

9. Water flow seepage affected
Land soil gets polluted
Solid waste --- Not disposed properly
Space not available
Soil microbe activity reduced
•
•
•
•
•

11. Air Pollution (dust, etc.,)
Loss of solid waste
Global warming
Monsoon failure
Improper technology
Cost is more
Dioxin ?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

12. Cross sections of ordinary bituminous road

13. Problem concern with ordinary
bituminous road
Stripping (pot holes)
and rutting are major
problems with
ordinary bituminous
road.

14. • Better Road
• Use of Waste Plastics
• Saving of Bitumen
• Cost Less
• Solid Waste into Manure
• Job for Self Help Group
A small step towards…

15. Plastic waste in road
construction
Process outline
WASTE PLASTICS COATED AGGREGATE- BITUMEN MIX
AGGREGATES 170 ° C HOT AGGREGATES
Waste plastics
Poly.Coated aggregates
Hot bitumen 160 ° C

16. Method I (Wet Process)
1. Blending of waste plastics by direct mixing of
shredded polymer with hot bitumen at 160 °C
2. Mixing of higher percentage of polymer
difficult because of difference in viscosities of
molten polymer
and bitumen.
3.Powerful mechanical stirrer required for
effective mixing.
4. Also required addition of stabilizers and
proper cooling

17. Method II – Dry Process
1.Waste polymer is added on the hot aggregate(170 °C)
2.The polymer gets coated over the aggregate
uniformly.
3.Then bitumen is added; mixing of bitumen with
polymer takes place at the surface of the aggregate
around 155-163 °C.
4.With the increase in surface area of contact, mixing of
polymer with bitumen is better.
5.Hence, blend with better binding property is formed.

19. Cross Section Of Plastic Road
1.Aggregate
2.Plastic bonded with aggregate(polymer coating)
3.Bitumen-plastics blend( due to diffusion between
molten plastics and hot bitumen)
4.Loosely bonded bitumen with dispersed plastics
5.Plain bitumen layer
5

20. Structural Model For PMB Road

26. Bitumen added

29. PLASTICS – TAR ROAD
PLASTICS – TAR ROAD
Advantages
1. Better binding property
2. Higher Softening point; withstands high temp.
3. Lower penetration value; withstands higher load
4. No stripping – Resists the permeation of water
5. Higher Marshall Stability–increased strength of road
6. Operation temperature range: 160-170 deg.C
7. Cost less compared to bitumen road. Use of waste Plastics
(MSW, road side etc.)
8. Better disposal of waste plastics

30. Comparison
SL.
NO.
PROPERTIES PLASTIC ROAD ORDINARY ROAD
1 Marshal stability value More Less
2 Binding property Better Good
3 Softening point Less More
4 Penetration value Less More
5 Tensile strength High Less
6 Rutting Less More
7 Stripping No More
8 Seepage of water No Yes
9 Durability Better Good
10 Cost of pavements Less Normal
11 Maintenance cost Almost nil More

31. Conventional Bitumen RoadPolymer-Aggregate-Bitumen Mix Road

32. Conclusion:-
Today, every vital sector of the economy starting from agriculture to
packaging, automobile, building construction, communication or infotech
has been virtually revolutionised by the applications of plastics. Use of
this nonbiodegradable (according to recent studies, plastics can stay as
long as 4500 years on earth) product is growing rapidly and the problem is
what to do with plastic-waste. Studies have linked the improper disposal
of plastic to problems as distant as breast cancer, reproductive problems
in humans and animals, genital abnormalities and much more. If a ban is
put on the use of plastics on emotional grounds, the real cost would be
much higher, the inconvenience much more, the chances of damage or
contamination much greater.
We can simply use plastic waste in bitumen or for coating of fine
aggregates. Plastics will increase the melting point of the bitumen. The
use of the innovative technology not only strengthened the road
construction but also increased the road life as well as will help to
improve the environment and also creating a source of income. Plastic
roads would be a boon for India’s hot and extremely humid climate,
where temperatures frequently cross 50°C and torrential rains create
havoc, leaving most of the roads with big potholes. It is hoped that in near
future we will have strong, durable and eco-friendly roads which will
relieve the earth from all type of plastic-waste

33. • REFERENCE:-
• www.cpcb.com
• www.kkpolyflex.com
•
• Handbooks:-
• Highway Engineering
• Transportation Engineering