potential reuse of plastic waste in road ...potential reuse of plastic waste in road construction: a...

POTENTIAL REUSE OF PLASTIC WASTE IN ROAD

CONSTRUCTION: A REVIEW

Prof. Kiran Bhoot1, Kapil Malviya

2, Thanvendra K Prajapat

3

1Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, JIET Group of Institutions, Jodhpur 2,3B.Tech. IV year, Department of Civil Engineering, JIET Group of Institutions, Jodhpur

ABSTRACT

Plastic is widely used in our day to day life. It is common site in both urban and rural areas to

find empty plastic bags and other type of plastic packing material littering the roads as well as

drains. As Plastic is non-biodegradable, harmful chemical, causes ocean pollution and so

many. As per a study by the Central Pollution Control Board, 60 large cities in India generate

over 15,000 tonne of plastic waste every day. In an observation earlier this year, the Supreme

Court had said that the country is sitting on a plastic time bomb.

Natural materials use in road construction being exhaustible in nature, its quantity is

declining gradually while use of Plastic in Roads are found to perform better compared to

those constructed with conventional bitumen. If these materials can be suitably utilized in

highway road construction, the pollution and disposal problems may be partly reduced.

Further it has been found that such roads were not subjected to stripping when come in

contact with water. Also, cost of extracting good quality of natural material is increasing. 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 good for road laying. The process is easy and does not need any new

machinery. Plastic increases the aggregate impact value and improves the quality of flexible

pavements and also wear and tear of the roads has decreased to a large extent.

KEYWORDS: Plastic waste, Impact Value, Flexible pavement.

INTRODUCTION

Plastic is a polymeric material—that is, a material whose molecules are very large, often

resembling long chains made up of a seemingly endless series of interconnected links.

Natural polymers such as rubber and silk exist in abundance, but nature’s “plastics” have not

been implicated in environmental pollution, because they do not persist in the environment.

Today, however, the average consumer comes into daily contact with all kinds of man-made

plastic materials that have been developed specifically to defeat natural decay processes.

Materials derived mainly from petroleum that can be molded, cast, spun, or applied as a

coating. Since synthetic plastics are largely non-biodegradable, they tend to persist in natural

environments. Moreover, many lightweight, single-use plastic products and packaging

materials, which account for approximately 50 percent of all plastics produced, are not

deposited in containers for subsequent removal to landfills, recycling centers, or incinerators.

Instead, they are improperly disposed of at or near the location where they end their

usefulness to the consumer. Dropped on the ground, thrown out of a car window, heaped onto

International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering

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an already full rubbish bin, or inadvertently carried off by a gust of wind, they immediately

begin to pollute the environment. Indeed, landscapes littered by plastic packaging have

become common in many parts of the world. (Illegal dumping of plastic and overflowing of

containment structures also play a role.) Studies from around the world have not shown any

particular country or demographic group to be most responsible, though population centers

generate the most litter. The causes and effects of plastic pollution are truly worldwide.

EFFECTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION

a) The rural areas are more prone to this type of pollution and the related effects, as a

majority of the people from these areas use plastic on a large scale.

b) Many stray animals end up eating plastic bags and bottles due to improper disposal

systems, and this can cause their death.

c) During the rainy season, the plastic rubbish that has fallen on the road gets washed away

into the nearby water reservoirs, canals, and drains, leading to their choking up and

overflowing. Also, the water quality gets spoiled due to the addition of these synthetic

materials.

d) When dumped in landfills, plastic materials interact with water and form hazardous

chemicals. If these compounds seep down towards groundwater aquifers, they degrade

the water quality, leading to groundwater pollution.

e) Plastic pollution in marine water bodies leads to innumerable deaths of aquatic animals,

and this also affects the aquatic plants to a considerable degree.

f) Blockage due to plastic accumulation may form breeding grounds for mosquitoes and

other harmful vector insects, which might cause numerous diseases in humans.

g) The quality of drinking water on our planet is deteriorating, as plastic releases some toxic

chemicals such as Styrene Trimer, Bisphenol, and a by-product of Polystyrene. These

products are worsening the drinking water situation with every passing day. Bisphenol A

is a harmful chemical that damages the reproductive system of animals.

h) Bio-accumulation of plastic inside animals is one of the most recent effects of plastic

pollution. Over many years, the accumulated plastic releases harmful chemicals, and also

breaks down into small pieces, causing extreme discomfort to the animals. After their

death, the body might decompose, but the plastic fragments may remain as a threat to

other animals.

i) Wind carries and deposits plastic from one place to another, increasing the land litter. It

also gets stuck on fences, trees, towers, buildings, etc., and any animal that comes in its

vicinity might even get tangled in it and suffocate to death.

j) Burning plastic leads to contamination of the atmosphere, due to the release of poisonous

chemicals, leading to air pollution. Recycling requires laborers, who are at the risk of

developing skin and respiratory problems due to inhalation of toxic chemicals.



CONSTRUCTION OF PLASTIC ROADS

a) Initially plastic wastes are converted into smaller size of range 2.36mm to 4.75mm using

shredding machine.

b) Plastic is added (@ 8% of bitumen) and this aggregate mix is heated at 165°C and then

transferred to mixing chamber.

c) The bitumen is heated to a maximum of 160°c (HRS Specification) for achieving good

binding and to prevent weak bonding. (Monitoring the temperature is very important).

d) At the mixing chamber, the shredded plastics waste is to be added. It gets coated

uniformly over the aggregate within 30 to 60 seconds, giving an oily look.

e) The plastics waste coated aggregate is mixed with hot bitumen and this mix is used for

road construction. The roller used is 8-ton capacity.

f) The temperature during lying of road is kept between 110°C to 120 °C. And the rollers

are used have capacity 8- ton generally.

The advantages of using waste plastics for road construction are many. The process is easy

and does not need any new machinery. For every kilo of stone, 50 grams of bitumen is used

and 1/10th of this is plastic waste; this reduces the amount of bitumen being used. Plastic

increases the aggregate impact value and improves the quality of flexible pavements. Wear

and tear of the roads has decreased to a large extent.

LIVE EXAMPLE

Jamshedpur, a city in the state of Jharkhand, is setting an example when it comes to recycling

Plastics and putting it to use. They are using plastic waste to construct roads. We have to

keep in mind that plastics are non-biodegradable substance and is very hard to dispose of.

Plastic waste is collected from across the city and brought to 10 collection centers. The waste

is then broken down by shredding it to 2 mm to 4 mm before processing it further. Plastic

waste is then mixed with Bitumen, an oil based substance, used as a common binder in road

construction.



Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco), a subsidiary company of Tata steel,

has undertaken an initiate to use plastic waste for road construction in Jamshedpur.

Till now, 48 to 50 kilometers of roads has been constructed under this project.

Bitumen Technology (Dry Process) patented by Thiagarajar College of Engineering

(TCE), Tirupparankuram, Madurai is being used on plastic waste to construct roads.

The roads constructed using this technology are of better quality and don’t require

maintenance in first five years.

Now, all the roads in Jamshedpur uses 20 to 30 percent plastic waste mixed with bitumen.

For every one km long and four-metre-wide road made using this technology, one tonne

of bitumen costing Rs 50,000 is saved.

Jusco has received requests from many states for replicating the technology but JUSCO

has no plans of commercializing this discovery, only to use it to serve society.

Ambikapur, in the state of Chhattisgarh too has tried this technology. No wonder,

Jamshedpur is the 7th cleanest city in India.

ADVANTAGES OF PLASTIC ROADS

a) Stronger road with increased Marshall Stability Value.

b) Better resistance towards rainwater and water stagnation.

c) No stripping and no potholes.

d) Increase binding and better bonding of the mix.

e) Reduction in pores in aggregate and hence less rutting and raveling.

f) No effect of radiation likes UV.

g) The strength of the road is increased by 100%.

h) The load is withstanding property increases. It helps to satisfy today’s need for increased

road transport.

i) For 1km X 3.75m road, 1 ton of plastic (10 lakh carry bags) is used, and 1 ton of bitumen

is saved.

j) Value addition to the waste plastics (cost per kilogram increased from Rs 4 to Rs12).

k) The cost of road construction is also decreased.

l) The maintenance cost of the road is almost nil.

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



n) The use of waste plastics on the road has helped to provide the better place for burying

the plastic waste without causing disposal problem.

o) Employment for unskilled labourers will be generated.

DISADVANTAGES OF PLASTIC ROADS

a) Cleaning process- Toxics present in the co-mingled plastic waste would start leaching.

b) During the road laying process- in the presence of chlorine will release noxious HCL gas.

c) After the road laying- It is opined that the first rain will trigger leaching. As the plastics

will merely form a sticky layer, (mechanical abrasion).

d) The components of the road, once it has been laid, are not inert.

CONCLUSION

The generation of waste plastics is increasing day by day. The major polymers, namely

polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene show adhesion property in their molten state.

Plastics will increase the melting point of the bitumen. Hence, the use of waste plastics for

pavement is one of the best methods for easy disposal of waste plastics.

The use of the innovative technology not only strengthened the road construction but also

increased the road life as well as 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 that will relieve the earth

from all type of plastic waste.

REFERENCES

1. “Moving plastic from garbage to roads" .Daily News & Analysis. 8 June 2010. Retrieved

29 April 2011.

2. Dr. S.S. Verma, “Road from Plastic waste” , Science Tech Entrepreneur, March 2008

3. Tara Sen, Umesh Mishra, “Usage of Industrial Waste Products in Village Road

Construction,” International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, Vol. 1,

No. 2, June 2010

4. http://www.thebetterindia.com/43685/plastic-waste-in-road-construction-plastic-man-

india-prof-vasudevan/

5. http://plastic-pollution.org/

6. http://www.thebetterindia.com/43685/plastic-waste-in-road-construction-plastic-man-

india-prof-vasudevan/



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