SEMINAR REPORT

ON
PLASTIC ROADS

A report submitted for the partial fulfillment for the award of

Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering

By

SANTHOSH KUMAR S A
4NI16CV081

Department of Civil Engineering

The National Institute of Engineering
(Autonomous under VTU, Belgaum)

Mysuru – 570008

Course code: CV0105

Academic Year: 2018-2019

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 CERTIFICATE

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Certified that the SEMINAR on “PLASTIC ROADS” is a bonafied work carried out by
SANTHOSH KUMAR S A bearing USN: 4NI16CV081, in partial fulfillment for the award
of Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering. The seminar report has been approved
and satisfies the academic requirements with respect to seminar prescribed for the Bachelor
of Engineering Degree.

Date:
Place: Mysuru

Dr. H.S. PRASANNA Dr. N. SURESH

Professor and Seminar Advisor Professor and Head
Department of Civil Engineering Department of Civil Engineering

Examiners:

Sl. Name Signature

No.
1.

2.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and regards to my seminar supervisor,

Dr. H.S. PRASANNA, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, NIE for his
consistent support and guidance.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. N. SURESH, Professor and
Head, Department of Civil Engineering, NIE for providing us this platform.

I also thank all the Faculties of Civil Engineering Department and my batch mates
for their support and coordination.

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 ABSTRACT

Roads are the Primary and basic means of transport which play a vital role in a country’s
economy. In a country like India which has the 2nd largest road network, construction of
durable, strong, tough and long lasting roads is certainly necessary.
Plastic being one of the revolutionary invention of humans a century ago is now one of the
biggest hindrance for the mankind. Enough plastic is thrown every year to circle earth four
times. Around 8 million tons of plastic is thrown into our oceans every year killing
innumerous aquatic organisms.

Many Environmentalists, researchers, scientists and common people are working towards
plastic waste management. Using recycled plastic is cost effective means of meeting
expenses and helps to conserve our resources. Recycled plastic can also be used to repair
highways. Recycled plastic bottles are also being turned into drainage filtration systems and
road stabilization. Usage of waste plastic in construction of roads is playing a significant
role in both the aspects already discussed above: Usage of plastics in road construction not
only improves the properties of the road but also creates a path to utilize the waste plastics
in a productive and safe way.

The present Seminar Focuses on Plastic waste being turned into functional roads in Various
countries like India, Australia, Indonesia, United states. In Indonesia roads are being
constructed using Plastic-Asphalt mix. In India roads are being constructed using Plastic-
Bitumen mix. “Volkerwessels” a European based construction company is planning to build
Prefabricated road parts made up of 100% recycled plastic. We are going know the salient
features, advantages of Plastic roads and also look into various hazards plastic roads may
cause.

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 CONTENTS

Details Page No.

Title page............................................................................................................................... I
Certificate ........................................................................................................................... II
Acknowledgment ............................................................................................................... III
Abstract .............................................................................................................................. IV
Contents ............................................................................................................................... V

Chapter 1 Introduction.................................................................................1

Chapter 2 Literature Reviews. .....................................................................2

Chapter 3 Pioneer of the Technique ........................................................... 3

Chapter 4 Dry process of Road construction .............................................. 4

Chapter 5 Comparison between Tar Road and Plastic Road.....................5

Chapter 6 Materials Used.............................................................................6

Chapter 7 Economy ......................................................................................8

Chapter 8 Case Study ................................................................................... 9

Chapter 9 Advantages and Disadvantages ................................................ 10

Chapter 10 Conclusion ...............................................................................12

References ................................................................................................... 13

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 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

Those seemingly endless miles of orange barrels lining road construction sites are turning green
as many manufacturers of roadside safety equipments are using recycled plastic for their
products. The benefits of making this switch is numerous; recycled plastics are being used for
guardrail support posts and offset blocks, signs, energy absorbing elements in crash protection
devices and work zone traffic control and safety systems such as barrels, cones and barricades.

The use of waste plastic is not limited to whatever mentioned above but it has also entered into
the mainstream i.e. Road Construction. Plastic roads are made entirely of plastic or of
composite of plastic with other materials. Plastic is a family of vast number of polymers,
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polypropylene (PP), and high and low density Polyethylene
(HDPE & LDPE) are some of the common types of plastics used for road construction.

With the increase in human population number of vehicles coming on to the road is also
increasing. This implies that the roads we build are also experiencing increased traffic resulting
in greater loads. The conventional methods of laying roads may not satisfy the need.
Alternative, better and ecofriendly methods are to be adopted. Plastic roads are one of the best
options available currently. Plastic roads shows lower penetration point, better ductility, better
stripping value and are more durable.

This report concentrates on method of road construction using plastic and various processes
involved in it and salient features of plastic roads. “Necessity is the Mother of Invention”
whatever new inventions and technologies we develop it will have its own pros and
consequences. Plastic roads are not an exception to it. We shall know about all these in detail
as we proceed.

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 CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW

Plastic Roads – Volkerwessels Technique:

Plastic road features numerous advantages compared to conventional roads, both in terms of
construction and maintenance. Recycled plastic is made into prefabricated road parts that can
be installed in one piece. This opens the door for a number of new innovations such as power
generation, quiet road surfaces, heated roads and modular construction.
The design features a ‘hollow’ space that can be used for cables, pipes and rainwater.
It is unaffected by the weather and it can handle temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius
and as high as 80 degrees Celsius. It is much more resistant to chemical corrosion. As estimated
the lifespan of the roads will be tripled.
A major advantage of Plastic Road is the hollow structure that can simply be installed
on a surface of sand. In addition to the features mentioned above, it is possible to integrate
other elements in the prefabrication phase. These elements include traffic loop sensors,
measuring equipment and connection for poles.

Australian Plastiphalt:
A collaboration between Australian company Downer, Close the Loop, Plastic police and Red
group have come up with a new road construction material “Plastiphalt”. Plastiphalt was
prepared using 1,76,000 plastic bags, 55,440 glass bottles and toner from 3,960 used printer
cartridges mixed with asphalt.
Plastic is completely melt into bitumen just like sugar is dissolved in coffee. There are
no microbeads left. They have laid a 300-meter-long road from Plastiphalt as the first trial.
Laboratory tests have shown positive towards the tests.

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 CHAPTER 3
PIONEER OF THE TECHNIQUE

Plastic has a variety of properties. It can be engineered in a suitable way to meet our various
demands. For this reason, process/procedure of laying plastic is different in different parts of
the world. Australia, Indonesia, India, United States and many other countries have used
technology which can incorporate plastic waste into an asphalt mix.

Prof. Vasudevan is an Indian Scientist who has worked mainly in waste management. He is
currently working as a professor in Thiagarajar college of Engineering, Tamil Nadu. He is
renowned as the “Plastic Man” of India for developing the technology for using waste plastics
in Road construction. Laboratory results of mixing waste plastic with heated bitumen and
coating the mixture over stone proved positive. He implemented the use of plastic waste on a
road constructed inside the premises of his college in 2002.

Prof. Vasudevan’ s inclination to keep experimenting led to another innovation. He decided to

try creating a stone block with plastic coating and, in 2012, ‘Plastone’ took birth. A plastone
block is made from a mixture of waste plastic and stone. It has been found to withstand more
pressure and it resists water percolation. He has made plastone blocks using granite, ceramic
waste and plastic waste.

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 CHAPTER 4
DRY PROCESS

Dry process is recommended for isolated works. It is recommended that the percentage of
shredded waste plastic will be 8% by CRRI, while the same is specified as 10% by Dr.
Vasudevan. However, we can adopt 8% as the optimum plastic content for blending the
bitumen in the construction of plastic roads. The details of the process are given below.
Bitumen of grades 60/70 or 80/100 can be used as binder as in case of conventional method.

Process of Road laying using Polymer- Aggregate- Bitumen mix

The stone aggregate mix (as per specification) is transferred to the mix cylinder where it is
heated to 165 °C (as per the IRC specification) and then it is transferred to the mixing puddler
(Temperature can be monitored using IR thermometer), while transferring the hot aggregate
into the puddler, calculated quantity of shredded plastics is sprayed over the hot aggregate
within 30seconds. The sprayed plastic films melt and gets coated over the aggregate, thus
forming an oily coating. Similarly, the bitumen is to be heated to a maximum of 160 °C in a
separate chamber and kept ready (The temperature should be monitored to have good binding
and to prevent weak bonding). At the mixing puddler, the hot bitumen is added over the plastic
coated aggregate and the resulted mix is used for road construction. The road laying
temperature is between 110 °C to 120 °C. The roller used is normal 8-ton capacity.

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 CHAPTER 5
COMPARISON BETWEEN TAR ROAD AND PLASTIC ROADS

The durability of the roads laid out with shredded plastic waste is much more compared with
roads with asphalt with the ordinary mix. Roads laid with plastic waste mix are found to be
better than the conventional ones. The binding property of plastic makes the road last longer
besides giving added strength to withstand more loads. While a normal 'highway quality' road
lasts four to five years it is claimed that plastic-bitumen roads can last up to 10 years. Rainwater
will not seep through because of the plastic in the tar. So, this technology will result in lesser
road repairs.

Figure 4.1

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 CHAPTER 6
PLASTIC MATERIALS USED IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Six main types of Polymers used in construction of roads:

1. PET: Polyethylene terephthalate, from soda bottle.

2. HDPE: High density polyethylene, from milk jugs, grocery bags & high density
polyethylene, colored, from bottles.

4. PVC: Polyvinyl chloride, various bottles, pipes, flooring.

5. LDPE: Low density polyethylene from film and trash bags, rigid container.

6. PP: Polypropylene, from food container, battery cases, medical containers

7. PS: Polystyrene, carry-out containers, some food containers, vitamin bottles.

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Figure 6.1 MINI ASPHALT MIXER

Figure 6.2 MIX CYLINDER

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 CHAPTER 7
ECONOMY

Based on the experimental evidences and the amount of raw materials used for 20 mm thick
Bituminous Premix carpet (top layer of the bituminous road) with type-A seal coat. One-

Material Needed Quantity {with Quantity {with Plastic Coated Aggregate

conventional (PCA)}
Aggregate}
VG 30 Bitumen 9,150 KG 8,326 KG

Plastic waste NIL 824 KG

Cost 5,49,000 (Bitumen) RS 4,99,560 + (Plastic) Rs

8,240 = RS 5,07,800
Cost reduced (per KM) for NIL Rs 41,200
Single lane Road having
width 3.75 m
Kilometer-long road having width 3.75 meter (3750 M²) the following calculation are done.

 Cost of Bitumen Approx. Rs 60 per Kg and Waste

 Plastic: Rs. 10 per Kg (Cost of waste plastic Rs 6 per Kg and Cost of processing Rs 4 per
Kg)
 Savings of bitumen = 824 Kg
 Use of Plastics waste = 824 Kg
 Cost Reduced (per KM) for single lane road having width 3.75 Meter = Rs 41,200
 There is no maintenance cost for a minimum period of five years. Hence the process is
cheap and eco-friendly.

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 CHAPTER 8
CASE STUDY

It is a sight many of us abhor. However, when it comes to tackling it, we would probably take
a backseat. The sight of plastic waste littered around is a common sight in most urban
residential areas.
But, brothers Rasool and Ahmed Khan may well help change all that. The duo, who
once ran a bustling business of plastic, graduated to a more meaningful venture of using
discarded plastic for laying roads. The saying “In every adversity lies opportunity”, would
probably be an apt way to describe their venture.
In 1996, when a ban was imposed on plastic bags in Karnataka, the question was “What
next?”. Looking back Rasool states, “Since we had 100 employees who were dependent on us,
we had to look for an alternative. That’s when the idea of recycling plastic and mixing it with
bitumen to lay roads struck us.” In jayanagara area, near the Raja Rajeshwari choultry they
engaged in pothole filling. Soon, they filled 200 to 300 potholes. It was their own initiative.
The wastes collected from sources like apartments, schools and by civic workers were
put into a shredder. The shredded bits were stored in bags for about a week to drain out the
moisture. This was then taken to hot mixing plant located on the outskirts of Bangalore, where
it was mixed with bitumen to make roads. Plastic mixed with Asphalt forms a compound called
“Polymerized bitumen”. This when used in roads withstands Monsoons, everyday wear and
tear. The life span of the road is around 6 to 7 years.
The brothers have laid a total stretch of 1400 km plastic-bitumen road in Bangalore, 2
km in Delhi and 6 km in Hyderabad. There have been inquiries world over, from Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Burma and Nigeria. Rasool feels that appropriate policies too are needed to
promote such initiatives.

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 CHAPTER 9
ADVANTAGES OF POLYMER WASTE BITUMEN MIX ROAD

In the proposed model by Volkerwessels (Roads made of prefabricated plastic) plastic roads
can have hollow space built in to allow ease of wiring, connecting pipes, etc.
Since plastics come with various chemical and physical properties, roads can be engineered to
meet specific requirements (e.g. weather and wear resistance).
Plastic waste mixed into asphalt world-wide may solve the issue of plastics in landfills and
oceans world-wide, soon becoming more valuable as a commodity in disadvantaged countries.

Plastic roads can be built from waste plastic --- the majority of which is usually put into landfill,
incinerated, or polluted into the environment. Landfilling and incinerating plastic are both
problematic methods of managing plastic waste. Plastics in landfills can leak pollutants into
the surrounding soil; incinerating creates gaseous pollutants, such as carbon dioxide.

Plastic-bitumen composite roads need not be especially discriminating with the plastics used,
thus increasing the reuse of plastic. Most plastic waste is not recycled because it is usually
mixed with different types of plastic and non-plastic (e.g. paper labels) and, so far, the
segregation process is labor-intensive with no easy solution.

Using less asphalt saves on cost and resources. Asphalt concrete requires petroleum which is
becoming scarcer. This is beneficial to the environment since asphalt is responsible for 2% of
global carbon emissions.

Plastic-bitumen composite roads have better wear resistance than standard asphalt concrete
roads. They do not absorb water, have better flexibility which results in less rutting and less
need for repair. Road surfaces remain smooth, are lower maintenance, and absorb sound better.

It is observed that addition of plastics up to 10-15% by weight of bitumen resulted into higher
values of softening point and lower values of penetration which are appreciable improvements
in the properties of binder. This has resulted and withstood higher traffic load and high
temperature variation. Several experimental stretches have been laid in more than 15- locations
like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan, Delhi, Goa and so on using both Mini hot mix
and central mixing plants.

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Plastic waste modified mix is strip resistant even when subjected to worst moisture condition.
Physical properties like Aggregate Impact Value, Los Angles Abrasion Value, Water
Absorption Value and soundness etc. of plastic coated aggregates (PCA) were improved
appreciably as compared to conventional aggregates (without plastic coating) due to thin plastic
coating over aggregates. Plastic waste modified mix consumes less bitumen (OPC = 9% by
weight).

DISADVANTAGES OF PLASTIC ROADS

 Cleaning process - Toxics present in the co-mingled plastic waste would start
leaching.
 During the road laying process - in the presence of chlorine will release noxious HCL
gas.
 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).
 The components of the road, once it has been laid, are not inert.

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 CHAPTER 10
CONCLUSION

Construction may be slightly higher compared to the conventional method. However, this
should not deter the adoption of the technology as the benefits are much higher than the cost.
Plastic roads would be a boon for India’s climatic conditions, where temperatures frequently
cross 50°C and torrential rains create havoc, leaving most of the roads with big potholes.
Already, a kilometer-long test-track has been tested in Karnataka using this technology. The
government is keen on encouraging the setting up of small plants for mixing waste plastic
and bitumen for road construction. 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.

So far, no large scale, systematic approach has been employed to build roads entirely of
plastics. The plastic composite roads do not represent an ideal method, since the plastic is not
exploited for all of its properties, which allow it to be formed into complex structure.
Building roads entirely from plastic opens new possibilities in construction. Construction can
be significantly more efficient, since roads can be created as individual pieces, which can be
switched out in case of damage. This is different from traditional ways of road repair, which
requires large amounts of time on site shaping asphalt to the desired shape.

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References:
 Utilization of Waste Plastics in Construction of Flexible Pavements (Reuse of waste
plastics – a path – breaking initiative) by Dr. R. Vasudevan (2015)
 Influence of polymer Additive on Bitumen and Asphalt Mixture Properties by Ziari
Hassan, Divandari Hassan, Babagoli Rezvan, Akbari Ali (2014)
 Use of waste plastic in construction pavement by Dr. Aslam, Professor & Head,
Shahan-ur- Rahman (2012)
 Plastic waste modified bituminous surfacing for rural roads by Dr.P.K. Jain (2012)
 Effective Utilization of Waste Plastic In Construction Of Flexible Pavement For
Improving Their Performance by Mr.P.B. Rajmane Prof. A.K. Gupta Prof.D.B.Desai
(2011)

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