GOVERNMENT COLLEGE

OF
ENGINEERING KARAD
(AN AUTONOMUS INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA)

VIDYA NAGAR KARAD-415124, DIST-SATARA

Tel.: +91-2164- 272414, 8275706613 Web Site: http://gcekarad.ac.in

A
MINI PROJECT

Advance types
of
pavements

THIRD YEAR (SEM-IV)

B.TECH. CIVIL ENGINEERING

(2021-2022)
 Government College Of
Engineering Karad
certificate for completion
Of mini project

This is to certify that Mr. Sarthak Dattajirao Desai from SY B.Tech. (Sem-III)
with Registration No: 20113282 has successfully completed Industrial training
(CE2311) report in Pushpa Lata constructions from 01/03/2021 to 17/04/2021.
for partial fulfilment towards completion of graduate programme in civil
engineering from Government college of Engineering Karad.

This is to be certified that above students, of third year civil engineering have
completed the mini project.

Sign of Principle Sign of HOD Sign of Mentor

Dr. A.T. Pise Dr. M.B. Kumthekar Onkar Misal

 BRIEF INTRODUCTION

India has second largest road network in the world spanning total of 5.89 million
kilometres and this number is increasing rapidly. In 2021 the pace of highway
construction has touched the 37km per day mark as per Hon. Nitin Gadkari (union
transport and Highway minister) and he is aiming for the 100km per day target. As per
above stats the road construction is increasing rapidly in India and the demand of
construction materials required for pavement construction is increasing alongside.

Although we are in 21st century there is very little efforts have been made to
change the highway construction process. There are various economic and
environmental problems associated with the conventional construction materials and
processes used in highway construction as well as there are many possibilities of
production of green energy from highway pavements.

In this mini project we are going to study the major problems with conventional
highway materials and construction processes and try to find the advanced technologies
developed thought the world to overcome the problems. The study will be conducted in
the point of view to reduce the limitations of existing technology as well as a sustainable
approach to utilize highways to reduce environmental impacts.

OBJETIVES OF PROJECT

 To study major limitations of conventional highway technologies.

 To find the emerging technologies to overcome problems associated with

conventional highway construction.

 To find sustainable methods of highway construction to reduce environmental

impacts.

 To search New technologies to use highway pavements in production of green

energy.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Transportation is one of the major reasons behind development of
human civilization. The ability to carry men, machine, and materials from one place to
another resulted in birth of new possibilities to human civilization. There are varies
modes of transportation
On of the major modes of transportation is road transportation. Road transportation
is principle mode of transport for land transportation.
PLASTIC ROAD

INTRODUCTION :

Waste plastic is made into powder and varying percent plastic is mixed with bitumen.
Plastic increase the melting point of the bitumen and makes the road flexible during
winters resulting in its long life. By mixing plastic with bitumen the brittleness is
overcome and its elasticity enhances. The plastic waste is melted and mixed with
bitumen in a particular ratio.

Fig. Plastic Road in Bangalore

A material that contains one or more organic polymers of large molecular weight, solid
in its finished state and at some state while manufacturing or processing into finished
articles, can Be shaped by its flow, is called as ‘Plastic’. Plastics Are durable and
degrade very slowly; the chemical bonds that make plastic so durable make it equally
resistant to natural processes of degradation. Plastics can be divided in to two major
categories: thermoses and thermoplastics. A thermoplastic softens when exposed to
heat and returns to original condition at room temperature. According to recent
studies, plastics can stay unchanged fora’s long as 4500 years on earth with increase in
the global population and the rising demand for food and other essentials, there has
been a rise in the amount of waste being generated daily by each household. Plastic in
different forms is found to be almost 5% in municipal solid waste, which is toxic in
nature. It is a common sight 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. Use of
plastic along with the bitumen in construction of roads not only increases its life and
smoothness but also makes it economically sound and environment friendly. Plastic
waste is used as modifier of bitumen to improve some of bitumen properties Roads
that are constructed using plastic waste are known as Plastic Roads and are found to
perform better compared to those constructed with conventional bitumen. Waste
plastic is ground and made into powder; 3 to 4 % plastic is mixed with the bitumen.
Plastic increases the melting point of the bitumen and makes the road retain its
flexibility during winters resulting in its long life. Use of shredded plastic waste acts as a
strong “binding agent”. For tar making the asphalt last long. By mixing plastic with
bitumen the ability of the bitumen to withstand high temperature increases. The plastic
waste is melted and mixed with bitumen in a particular ratio. Normally, blending takes
place when temperature reaches 45.5°C but when plastic is mixed, it remains stable
even at 55°C. The vigorous tests at the laboratory level proved that the bituminous
concrete mixes prepared using fig. Plastic Waste Road – Bangalore
the treated bitumen binder fulfilled all the specified Marshall mix design .criteria for

surface course of road pavement. There was a substantial increase in Marshall Stability
value of the BC mix, of the order of two to three times higher value in comparison with
the untreated or ordinary bitumen. Another important observation was that the
bituminous mixes prepared using the treated binder could withstand adverse soaking
conditions under water for longer duration.

Advantages :
  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. Double use of space. The hollow space in the design can be used to store

water or as space for cables and pipes.

 Higher quality and a longer lifespan. The possibility of constant safety and water

drainage

Everything on and around the road can be prefabricated .

Disadvantages :

 Toxic present in the co-mingled plastic wastes would start leaching.

 But the presence of chlorine will definitely release HCL gas

Basic process

There are two important processes used for bitumen mix flexible pavement.

(i) Dry Process (ii) Wet Process.

(i) Dry Process:

(ii) For the flexible pavement, hot stone aggregate (170°C) is mixed with hot

bitumen (160°C)

(iii) and the mix is used for road laying. The aggregate is chosen on the basis of

its strength,

(iv) porosity and moisture absorption capacity as per IS code. The bitumen is

chosen on the basis

(v) of its binding property, penetration value and viscous-elastic property. The

aggregate, when

(vi) coated with plastics improve its quality with respect to voids, moisture

absorption and soundness.

(vii) In this process the shredded plastics are poured over the heated aggregates,

thus forming

(viii) plastic coated aggregates which are then mixed with hot bitumen to form

plastic coated

(ix) aggregate bitumen mixture for laying roads. The coating of plastic decreases

the porosity and

(x) helps to improve the quality of the aggregate and its performance in the

flexible pavement.

(ii) Wet Process:

i. In this method the waste polymer is directly added with bitumen and

heated up to temperature of 170°C.

ii. so that proper blend is formed with proper dispersion of waste

polymer into bitumen. Then the hot mix is cooled up to 120°C into

another chamber, which is then added to the aggregate in paddling

chamber.

iii. The mix is to be cooled because when hot mix is poured on

aggregate then there are chances to form air pocket into small gaps

of aggregate, reducing the strength of roads and rutting of roads.

 iv. After addition of modified bitumen at 110°C on aggregate, it is then

laid on the road and then spreader material is compacted by 8 ton

roller.

 Major Scope of Plastic Roads:

(i) Economic in terms of bitumen: The shredded plastic in form of polymer

covers the aggregates and thus occupies a larger portion of the road

reducing the quantity of bitumen needed.

(ii) Efficient management of non-biodegradable waste: Plastic is a harmful

and non-biodegradable waste responsible mainly for land pollution. Utilizing

it for road construction will result in its efficient management.

(iii) Easy process without any new machinery: It is a simple and easy

technique which does not involve any complex or new machinery.

(iv) Enhanced durability: The addition of plastic to bitumen will help in

improving the strength and durability of the pavement.

 A well constructed plastic bitumen road will have the following; Advantages:

 Strength of the road increased (increased Marshall Stability Value).

 Better resistance to water and water stagnation.

 No stripping and have no potholes in the pavement.

 Increased binding and better bonding of the bitumen mix.

  Increased load withstanding property of road.

 Overall consumption of bitumen decreases.

 Maintenance cost of the road is reduced.

 The road life period is substantially increased.

 No effect of radiation like UV.

LITERATURE REVIEW:

 The first road using waste plastics was laid in Kovilpatti village of

Tutoring district in October 2002.Over the last ten years, the use of

plastics in rural road construction has been widely adopted in Tamil

Nadu.

 The state agencies have constructed more than 16,000 kilometer’s of

rural road Connectivity using the innovative method. The primary

allocations of funding in the state come Through the Ministry of

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. This has been supplemented

by the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana administered by National

Rural Road Development Agency.

 Through the Environment Protection and Renewal Energy

Development fund of the Tamil Nadu Environment and Forest

Department budget had been marked specifically for construction of

plastic Roads.
  Use of plastic waste in the bitumen is similar to polymer modified

bitumen. The blending of recycled LDPE to asphalt mixtures required

no modification to existing plant facilities or technology.

Polymer modified bitumen has better resistance to temperature,

water etc.

 This modified bitumen is one of the important construction materials

for flexible Road Pavement.

Since 90’s, Considerable research has been carried out to determine

the suitability of plastic waste modifier in construction of bituminous

mixes. Investigates the benefits of stabilizing the stone mastic

asphalt (SMA) mixture in flexible pavement .

FUTURE SCOPE :

 As the population increases, the solid waste also increases

proportionally. The best alternative is the usage of waste as

construction material assuring a good disposal.

 As this method is economic the practice would be on satisfactory

extent aiding the future generations for a good solid waste

management

CONCLUSION :

1) Plastic coating on aggregates is used for the better performance of

roads. This helps to have a better binding of bitumen with plastic

 wasted coated aggregate due to increased bonding and increased

area of contact between polymers and bitumen.

2) The polymer coating also reduces the voids. This prevents the

moisture absorption and oxidation of bitumen by entrapped air. This

has resulted in reducing rutting, ravelling and there is no pothole

formation. The road scan withstand heavy traffic and show better

durability.

REFERENCES :

1. https://www.academia.edu/33239789/

PLASTIC_ROADS_A_SEMINAR_REPORT_SUBMITTED_IN_PART

IAL_FULFILLMENT_OF_THE_REQUIREMENTS_FOR_THE_AWA

RD_OF_THE_DEGREE_OF_BACHELOR_OF_TECHNOLOGY_SUP

ERVISED_BY

2. https://www.tce.edu
SOLAR ROADWAYS :

Introduction :
Solar roadways is a modular paving system of solar panels that can withstand the
heaviest of trucks. These solar panels can be installed on roads, parking lots, driveways,
sidewalks, bike paths, playgrounds, literally any surface under the sun. They pay for
themselves primarily through the generation of electricity which can power homes and
businesses connected via the driveways and parking lots. A layer of embedded LEDs will
be used to create traffic warning or crosswalks and excess electricity could be used to
charge electric vehicles into the power grid.

A solar roadway is a series of structurally engineered solar panels that are driven upon.
The idea behind this is to replace petroleum based driveways with solar road panels
that collect energy to be used by homes and businesses and able to store excess energy
alongside the solar roadways. The renewable energy replaces the need for the current
fossil fuels used for the generation of electricity which cuts green house gases. The
primary purpose of Solar Roadways is to generate clean renewable energy on roadways
and any other surface that can be walked or driven upon. That would include: parking
lots, sidewalks, driveways, tarmacs, plazas, bike paths, playgrounds, garden paths, pool
surrounds, courtyards and the like.

Purpose :
Solar roads are created using photovoltaic cells installed into road systems. The idea
behind these projects is to be able to melt snow, power street lights and even eliminate
the need to paint white or yellow lines on asphalt.

Structure of solar roadways :

Road Surface layer: The road surface layer is semi transparent and is of high strength.
The sun light can still pass through it to the cells where solar energy is collected. It
protects the electronic layer beneath it.

Electronic layer: It contains photo voltaic cells which absorbs solar energy. It contains a
microprocessor board with support circuitry for sensing loads on the surface and
controlling a heating elements to remove ice.

Base plate layer: It is the base plate layer that distributes power as well as data signals
down the line to all homes and businesses connected to the solar roadways. It needs to
be weather proof to protect the electronic layer above it. As show in fig.
Solar roadways involve photo voltaic effect. It is a method of generating power by
connecting solar radiations into direct current electricity by using semiconductors that
exhibit the photo voltaic effect.

History :
The concept behind this invention is that roads could be made out of the same material
that is used in panels, so that the roads are able to collect massive amounts of
electricity from the sun and send it to the grid. In addition, there have been some ideas
of having the panels equipped with LED lights that could allow for warnings given to the
driver. For example, if an animal came across the road up ahead, a flashing light could
warn drivers of the danger. Another great concept in this design was that the lights
would be able to be programmed, meaning that they could be changed when needed.
For example, if you had a parking lot made of the panels and you needed to change
some of the spaces to make more handicap or reserved spaces, you could easily
program those panels to change.

Although this concept is something that a solar company in Lafayette, CO may jump on,
there were a few things that still needed to be addressed once the first prototypes
were created. For example, the durability of the panels is important since they would
be exposed to heavy traffic. There is also a concern on how to keep them clean, as well
as some other concerns. However, the designs are still being perfected and there have
been areas that have been used for testing the technology.

World’s First Solar Road

The first attempt at a solar road was in the small village of Tourouvre au Perche in
Normandy in 2014. The French project, named “World’s first solar road” by ARS
Technica, was strategically placed in a so-called “not-so-sunny-village”. While the
project was initially created to power the village’s street lights, the solar roads were not
economically viable, and the project was deemed a failure.

Literature :
Amstredam (Netherlands) -2014: A 70-metre stretch of solar panels installed on a
cycling lane north of Amsterdam. The panels contain LED lights to create lines and
signage without paint, allowing for more flexibility with road signs and can warn drivers
when animals are crossing the road ahead. They contain heating elements to prevent
snow and ice accumulation, making roads safer in freezing conditions. And the panels
have microprocessors, which allows them to communicate with each other, a central
control station and vehicles.

Tourouvre (France)-2016: This 1 km paved roadway with solar panels that meet the
local energy needs is launched in 2016. It consists of 2800 square metres of
photovoltaic cells — enough, theoretically, to power the village’s street lights. The
resin-coated solar panels were integrated to the local power grid.

North Holland (Denmark) -2014-2016: SolaRoad converts the sunlight on the road
pavement into green electricity in a 70 m bike road in the province of Noord-Holland.
An additional 20 meters was added to the existing 70 m bike path in Krommenie. The
extension consists of new elements with improved technology where new solar panels
were developed, which are better tailored to application in pavements. The elements
no longer have a glass top layer. Two of the elements have thin-film solar cells
embedded.

Missouri (USA)-2016: A solar sidewalk to be installed on Route 66. Solar Roadway’s

hexagonal, LED-embedded solar panels will be used to generate electricity for the
Route 66 Welcome Center at Conway, as well as possibly fund future pilots.

Shandong Province ( East China)-2017: The road is constructed using solar panels which
have a thin sheet of clear concrete on top of them, protecting the surface from
mechanical loads such as passenger vehicles. The innovative panels were built to
transfer energy to electric vehicles passing on top of them - and to instantly melt snow.
The new stretch is two kilometres and will not be able to support trucks which are too
heavy.

Advantages of solar roadways :

 Provide Electricity.
 Generate Green Energy.
 The Roads are Fitted with Other High-tech Features.
 The High-tech Features are Very Beneficial.
 Help With Lighting the Roads.
 Can Help Neighbouring Communities.
 Life span 20-25 years.
 Reduces dependence on fossil fuels.
 Low maintenance cost.

Disadvantage of solar roadways :

 The initial cost of implementation is high.
  Questionable durability and damage controllability that may affect traffic and
power.
 The cost of repair may be higher than conventional asphalt roads.
 Most of photovoltaic panels are made up of silicon and other toxic metals like
mercury, lead and cadmium. Pollution in environment can also degrade the
quality and efficiency of photovoltaic cell.

Future scope :

In future, normal roads can be replaced by the solar roadways but huge initial
investment is required. The solar roadway alternative could be made at less cost with
an energy return while phasing out the old system . AS old roads are scheduled to be
under maintenance , the process of solar roadway placement could occur seamlessly.
The alternative of airports and parking lots are under varying timelines. Whenever fiscal
dilemmas become the primary motivating factor for a state or municipal budget, the
option of solar roadways should be presented and defended. With respect to solar
roadways being future proof asphalt roads are a dead end .

Future of solar roads

Photogallery :
Intelligent highway implementing the solar roadway technique

smart roads can give instructions

Conclusion : The solar roadway has the technology to solve the problem of oil
dependency in a relatively short period of times. Generally the solar roadways will
create an intelligent and secure highway infrastructure that pays for itself. It eliminates
the need for coal-fired or nuclear power plants. It ends our dependency on oil and fossil
fuels. It provides safer driving conditions and traffic management.

Referances :

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/solar-roads-benefits.php

https://theconversation.com/solar-panels-replaced-tarmac-on-a-road-here-are-the-
results-103568

https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/08/5-advantages-and-5-disadvantages-of-
solar-energy
PIEZOELECTRIC ROADS
INTRODUCTION :

Electricity has become a lifeline of present day civilization and thus its demand is
enormous and is growing steadily. There seems no end to the different ways one can
generate pollution free electricity. On one hand, rising concern about the gap between
demand and supply of electricity for the masses has highlighted the exploration of
alternate sources of energy and its sustainable use. On the other hand, traffic on the
road all over the world is increasing day by day thus; congestion on roads is becoming
inevitable with the fancy of masses towards personal transportation systems for their
growing mobility. Energy demand and heavy traffic correlation motivate to dream
about the road that would harvest energy from the vehicles driving over it. For this,
piezoelectric material embedded beneath a road, the piezo-smart road, can provide the
magic of converting pressure exerted by the moving vehicles into electric current.

The system is based on piezoelectricity, which uses pads of metallic crystals buried
beneath roads to generate electricity when put under the pressure of quickly moving
traffic. With the technology, now, engineers are poised to harvest some of the spare
energy of the world’s moving vehicles. When a vehicle drives over the road it takes the
vertical force and compresses the piezoelectric material, thereby generating electricity.
 Fig 1: Piezoelectric roads already built in California

PIEZOELECTRIC WORKING PRINCIPLE :

The basic principle which we use to generate electricity is the piezoelectric effect. A
piezoelectric material is that one which converts mechanical energy or vibration energy
that is experienced on it, to a charge which can be stored. When a force or pressure is
exerted on the elastic piezoelectric crystal material, the crystal gets deformed and this
causes it to develop charge between them and the crystal goes back to its original
state. This charge flow is converted to a voltage that can be stored in a battery. Since
the power obtained from a few of them will be in a very small amount, we use voltage
amplifying circuits here. As the size and number of piezoelectric crystals increase, the
energy obtained from them also increases. Street light is controlled automatically by
Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs). With the help of LDRs the street lights are
automatically switched off during day time and switched off during night time. The
automatic traffic light control is made possible by two pairs of IR transceivers placed on
each road of the four-way junction. Each transceiver pair is kept face to face width-wise
on each road.
When the IR signals between each of the transmitter and receiver pair gets cut
proportionally according to the traffic density on each road, the traffic lights are
controlled. This function with the help of a program stored in a microcontroller. Besides
all these, the charging condition of the battery is sent and indicated every second to the
nearest traffic control room.

The energy produced from various vibrating machines, objects in motion or any other
source of mechanical energy is not being captured like solar or wind energy. Therefore,
this source of energy is dispersed and wasted. As an effective method to utilize this
loss, piezoelectric material is used to absorb the mechanical energy and convert it into
electrical energy. One application is the piezoelectric integrated roads.

The principle of piezoelectricity lies behind the crystals. As shown in Figure below,
electrical voltage is induced when crystalline materials are subjected to external force,
pressure, or strain. There are several types of natural crystals, found at the surface or
deep within the Earth, which can be used to apply piezoelectricity effects such as clear
quartz and amazonite. A variety of artificial crystals are formed by chemical
compounds, as well. These include Barium Titanate, Lead Titanate, and Lead Zirconate
Titanate, etc.

HISTORY (PIEZOELECTRICITY)

Piezoelectricity discovered by the Curie brothers in 1880, originated from the Greek
word “piezenin”, meaning, to press.

The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure. It is derived from
Greek piezo or piezein, which means to squeeze or press an electric or electron, which
stands for amber, an ancient source of electric charge. Piezoelectricity was discovered
in 1880 by French physicist Jacques and Pierre Curie. The piezoelectric effect is
understood as the linear electro-mechanical interaction between the mechanical and
the electrical state in crystalline materials with no inversion symmetry (notably crystals,
certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA and various proteins). The
piezoelectric effect is the reversible process in that materials exhibiting the direct
reverse piezoelectric effect (the internal generation of the electrical charge resulting
from an applied mechanical force) also exhibits the reverse piezoelectric effect (the
internal generation of the mechanical strain resulting from an applied electrical field).

The roads which produce electricity by application of mechanical energy when a vehicle
moves over the road, those roads are called piezoelectric roads. These roads are having
a piezoelectric sensor within them to produce electricity. This kind of construction is
built in Israel, California and we are trying to construct it here in India.

HARVESTING MECHANISM:

1. Generators harvest the mechanical energy of the vehicles and convert to electrical
energy.

2. Electric energy is transferred and stored via a harvesting module. Then it is charged
into the battery on one side of the road.

3. From there it is distributed.

4. Yield: For 1 km of piezoelectric road of one lane we can generate 44000KWh per
year.
PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS:

Piezoelectric materials are the crystals that generate electricity when compressed or
vibrated. They have the unique opposite property of generating a stress when voltage
is applied to them. Piezoelectric material falls within the class of multiple solid state
materials that can be generated with the help of some stimulus such as heat, stress, or
light. Photovoltaic material generates electricity with the application of light and
thermoelectric material generates electricity with the application of heat. Piezoelectric
material generates electricity by the application of stress. These materials are all
semiconductors, meaning they are much like conventional electronics, generally
constructed of silicon or germanium with additional elements.

CONSTRUCTION OF PIEZOELECTRIC ROADS :

1. The first layer is laid with fine gravel and sand content.

2. Then a thin layer of asphalt is laid which acts like a strong base for the generators.
3. Piezoelectric generators are placed in quick drying concrete as per design and left for
30 min.

4. Then all the generators are wired in series to get collective output.

5. A bitumen sheet is used to cover all the generators to provide better adhesion of
concrete to asphalt.

6. Finally a thick layer of asphalt is laid which finishes the construction.

PROPOSED SYSTEM DESIGN AND OPERATION:

When a vehicle is running on specialised speed breaker, this will create pressure on
pressure leaver which is kept under the specialised speed breaker. As a result flywheels
will create and the rotation of flywheels will cause the DC generators to produce
electricity. The electricity can be produced or recharged. The process of this design is
when a vehicle move over the road or at a place where we have kept the piezoelectric
material, the vehicle exerts the force on that material. The pressure is generated due to
this force and hence the pressure converts it into electrical energy.
DESIGN:

The design consists of a thin box around the piezoelectric material, which is placed
underneath the asphalt layer. As the truck pass over the plates embedded in asphalt
layer, they compress a tank filled of hydraulic fluid under the road, which in turn
creates a series of pumping action that turns a generator to produce electricity.When a
car drives over the box, it takes the vertical force and compresses the piezoelectric
material thereby generating electricity. The energy 80 kWh kilometre of road for traffic-
can be stored in nearby battery or super capacitor, depending upon the application or
sent directly to street lights and other roadside devices, The energy being converted
into electricity through piezoelectric effect is coming from the motion of vehicles which
will otherwise be wasted by heat when the roads deforms under the weight of the car.

The layer of piezoelectric material is stiffer than the road material it replaces, so it saves
even a tiny amount of energy. Engineers have created a new type of road which is
capable of turning the vibrations caused by cars into electricity. While the concept is
not new, the application is novel. The piezoelectric generators harvest the vibration
energy and save it in roadside batteries that can be used by people. Accordingly 1 truck
can generate 2000 volts which could already be used to power the traffic lights or
street lamps. This process is also known as parasitic energy harvesting. Under the upper
asphalt there is the layer of piezoelectric crystals that produces electricity when
suppressed.

The same technology can be implemented to railways and runways. It aims to capture
energy when vehicles are slowing down in which cars or trucks would drive over a mat
that would be installed on top of the road, on a highway off-ramp, or near a toll booth,
saving wear and tear on the car brakes and transforming some of the slowing vehicle’s
motion into electricity. The mat uses mechanical or hydraulic cells to generate
electricity and can be customized for cars or cargo truck traffic.

These latest refinements maximize the amount of electricity generated without

disrupting the driver or vehicle or robbing a vehicle of the energy it needs to accelerate.
This is because the system is designed to be installed in locations where vehicles are
required to reduce speed, such as toll plazas, rest areas and drive-thrus, meaning the
system only makes use of vehicle energy that would be required to slow down.

A kilometre of “electric road” could generate enough power for 40 houses, and
progress in the technology could generate enough electricity to feed the national
power grid. Private companies were competing in this sector but recently governments
of developed countries are also taking notice of the developments in turning traffic
rush into electricity and are funding many projects.

PEH (Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting) installation process includes the following steps
(as shown in above fig.):

1) Determining the position of each PEH,

2) Cutting road surface,
3) Core-taking,
4) Dressing pit,
5) Installing the PEH,
6) Laying the cable and filling the seam.
There are three coordinate positioning methods to determine the positions of the
PEHs. During the process of pavement construction, the positions of PEH have been
determined, and the coordinates have been recorded. The positions are marked to
make the core-taking process easier. The first step is to find the location according to
the recorded coordinates. The second step is to cut the pavement open using a cutting
machine. The pits for the PEHs and the slots for the wires are cut in this step. The third
step is to take out the asphalt concrete core. The bottom is flattened to make sure the
distance between the bottom and the road surface is equal to the thickness of the PEH
in the fourth step. The fifth step is to install the PEHs. Before filling the pit, it is
necessary to make sure the pit is clean and dry. The sixth step is to place the wires of
the PEHs along the slots. Then fill the seam with the modified asphalt mixed with
diatomite.

OTHER FACTOR AFFECTING PIEZOELECTRIC ROAD EFFICIENCY:

Vehicle speed: it states that vehicles moving slowly appear to generate slightly more
energy than faster-moving vehicles. On the contrary, energy efficiency always increases
with more speed. Different types of vehicles such as bus, car, and motorcycle were
tested at a speed of 45 mph and 65 mph. Power output is always greater with higher
speed. Higher speed has a higher impact on frequency resulting in a higher decay.
Vehicle weight: Simply put, the higher the force exerted the more deformation of
crystals and thus higher energy produced. The same principle applies for vehicles; a
truck will generate more energy than light duty vehicles and motorcycles.

Traffic flow capacity: Upon implementing such technology, this parameter would be
first considered. The overall technology performance will certainly provide less energy
if power asphalts are designed in areas where less frequent vehicles cross over. It is
suggested to apply power asphalts on busy roads where a reasonable number of
vehicle capacity flow. Planning the location of power asphalt is an essential decision to
meet energy needs.

PRESENT USE OF PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIAL:

Tiles made up of many layers of rubber sheeting, to absorb the vibrations and ceramic;
underneath piezoelectric crystals placed which can be used to generate electricity by
movements on them. When such tiles are installed in locations where large crowd
movements are expected like in Railway & Bus stations, Airports, Malls etc, and a
person steps on them, then by piezoelectric effect a small charge is built up on the
surface of crystals. Though energy generated by one person would be too less but if the
number of steps on such tiles increase than energy produced by it would increase too.
One more way to increase energy by use of such tiles is to increase pressure on them
i.e. to use them for road construction. When a person steps on such tiles, piezoelectric
crystal underneath it experiences mechanical stress, which creates electric charge, built
up on the crystal's surface which can be collected by use of electrodes. Such energy can
be stored in capacitors and power can be channelled to energy deficient regions. Japan
has already started experimenting with the piezoelectric effect for energy generation
by installing special flooring tiles at its capitals’ two busiest stations. Tiles installed in
front of ticket turnstiles. Thus every time a passenger steps on mats, they trigger a
small vibration that can be stored as energy. Energy thus generated by a single
passenger multiplied many times over by the 400,000 people who use Tokyo station on
an average day, according to East Japan Railway, which generates sufficient energy to
light up electronic sign boards. An average person weighing 60 kg will generate only 0.1
watt in the single second required to take two steps across the tile, but when they are
covering a large area of floor space and thousands of people are stepping or jumping
on them, then a significant amount of power can be generated. This energy created is
sufficient to run automatic ticket gates and electronic displays.

FUTURE ASPECTS :
In India, maximum public movements is observed in Railways stations and holy places,
hence, such places can be Exploited for use of piezoelectric crystals for generation of
electricity.

Gathering ranging from thousands to millions observed in holy places, thus installation
of piezoelectric Crystals at floorings would generate enough power to light up Lights of
temples as well as air circulation systems.
ADVANTAGES OF PIEZOELECTRIC ROAD PAVEMENTS :

1) Piezoelectric materials can operate at any temperature conditions.

2) They have a low carbon footprint making them the best alternative for fossil
fuel.
3) Characteristics of these materials make them the best energy harvesters.
4) Unused energy lost in the form of vibrations can be tapped to generate green
energy.
5) These materials can be reused.
6) New hybrid vehicle technology can be enhanced by its applicability.

DISADVANTAGES OF PIEZOELECTRIC ROAD PAVEMENTS :

1) While working with vibrations these devices are prone to pick up unwanted
vibrations also.
2) Resistance and Durability apply limits to devices when used to tap energy from
pavements and roads.
3) The mismatch between stiffness of piezoelectric material and pavement
material.
4) Less known details of these devices and the amount of research done till date is
not sufficient to exploit full usage of these devices.
5) Regular and constant inspections to moderate the effects of the heavy traffic
loads.
6) Not appropriate for large scale energy harvesting.
7) High temperature sensitivity and not efficient in a high humid environment.
CONCLUSION:

Generating capacity and profitability are two important factors to consider in choosing
this energy alternative. There is currently a significant cap on the generating capacity.
Net profits will only be seen after at least 12 years, as an underestimate. There are also
many more "costs," besides the financial costs of manufacturing and installation, to
consider, such as the environmental impact of manufacturing the PZT ceramics used in
Innowattech's devices. While piezoelectric devices are gaining popularity, they are less
capable than previously claimed because of physical limitations.

Some of the conclusions are as follows: -

1. As sound and heat more amount energy with it, it could be used by converting into
electric energy for various purposes

2. According to law of thermodynamics sound energy could be converted into electric

energy

3. Piezoelectric crystals are which converts sound energy to electric energy

4. Two dissimilar materials are which converts heat energy to electric energy
5. Lot of research is to be done on piezoelectric and thermoelectric materials but on a
positive note this could surely be done which could solve the energy problem of the
entire world in small amounts.

At a time when governments are finding it hard to make land available for new power
plants, extracting energy while using the vast spread of highways all over the world
seems no less lucrative proposition. However, this idea has not yet gained enough
ground among the policy makers even though researchers have shown that energy
could be extracted from highways by fitting them with piezoelectric devices, solar
panels, wind turbines and other energy generating tools. Future of the world would
depend on our ability to create a self-sustaining environment where everything could
be put to some use and dependent on each other. The energy generating road designs
could become a starting point for a self-sustaining future. We thus conclude that this
thought will be a revolution in power production and curb down the energy costs
thereby improving our country’s economy. This energy is produced by consumers’
participation without requiring any kind of input energy. Further concentration in the
work would result in better production of energy. We can see a better dimension of this
piezoelectric concept in the futuristic world.

REFERENCES :
[1] Pramethesth, T., Ankur S., “Piezoelectric Crystals: Future Source of Electricity”
International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Technology,Vol.2, Issue 4, April 2013.