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Investigation and optimization of waste LDPE plastic as a modifier of asphalt

mix for highway asphalt: Case of Ethiopian roads

Article in Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering · October 2021

DOI: 10.1016/j.cscee.2021.100150

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Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering

journal homepage: www.sciencedirect.com/journal/case-studies-in-chemical-
and-environmental-engineering

Investigation and optimization of waste LDPE plastic as a modifier of

asphalt mix for highway asphalt: Case of Ethiopian roads
Melkamu Birlie Genet *, Zenamarkos Bantie Sendekie, Addis Lemessa Jembere
Chemical Engineering Program, Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Overwhelming increase in plastic waste since recent years became series ecological issue for both developed and
Waste LDPE developing countries. Compromising the large plastic waste potential in Ethiopia and poor pavement perfor­
Bitumen mance in the roads due to severe weather and high traffic loads, it is viewed to use this in-hand resource as
Aggregate
asphalt modifier to urge sustainability, enhance the stability of asphalt mix and reduce the amount of bitumen
Hot mix asphalt
OBC
used. The study aimed at investigating the effect of using waste LDPE plastic as a modifier of virgin bitumen. This
Marshal sample study also tries to amplify the advantage of using wet blending method over dry. Four modified bitumen mixes
Non-modified asphalt mix prepared with 4, 6, 8 and 10% waste LDPE plastic content by the weight of optimum bitumen content (OBC) at
different mixing temperatures (160, 170, and 180 ◦ C) and different mixing times (1, 1.5 and 2 hours) to evaluate
penetration point, softening point and ductility. 170 ◦ C mixing temperature and 1.5 hour mixing time results,
homogeneous mix between bitumen and waste LDPE plastic materials compared to other mixing temperatures
and mixing times. Marshall Test Method was used to determine the optimum bitumen content and to evaluate the
marshal properties of the plastic modified asphalt mix. The OBC of non-modified marshal sample was found to be
5.16% by weight of the total aggregate while the optimum waste LDPE modified bitumen content was found to
be 6.5% by weight of the OBC. Asphalt mix modified with 6.5% of waste LDPE plastic content has 33.67% higher
stability value compared to the non-modified asphalt mix.

1. Introduction problems in human and animal and genital abnormalities [4].

The accumulation of solid waste is rising in unprecedented rate and
being creating a massive ecological and economic challenge around the
globe [1]. With this environmental concern a number of researches
utilize the industrial and municipal solid wastes into useful products for
wide range of industrial applications [2]. Polymers are one of the cur­
rent world’s largest innovations and widely used materials worldwide
[3]. Following the emerging of polymer industry in Ethiopia, a large
quantity of plastics is withdrawn to the environment both from house
hold and different industries. Due to the large population generating this
solid waste has become one of the greatest challenges to manage.
Plastic wastes are non-biodegradable material and researchers found
that the material can remain on earth for 4500 years without degrada­
tion [4,5]. When plastic wastes are discarded in the environment, the
effect is not limited in land but also it has a wide range of impact in
aquatic life as well [6]. Recent report also indicated the fatality of
controlled and uncontrolled hazardous industrial materials in aquatic
system [7]. The health hazard includes: breast cancer, reproductive
Despite the environmental impact, plastics are vital elements in
modern life and have been in use for over 150 years [8]. Their pro­
duction rate is increasing and it is estimated that 360 million tonnes of
plastics were produced worldwide in 2018. In developing countries like
Ethiopia, the rate of production and consumption of plastics have been
increasing tremendously. Today, every vital sector of the economy
starting from agriculture to packaging, automobile, electronics, elec­
trical, building construction and communication sectors have been
virtually revolutionized by the applications of plastics [10]. This phe­
nomenon causes a huge generation of non-decomposable materials to
the environment and plastic wastes become a major pollutant, especially
in urban areas, in terms of its misuse, dumping in the dustbin, clogging
of drains and reduce soil fertility etc. [11]. The present-day disposal of
plastic waste, especially municipal solid waste containing plastics is
carried out by land filling and incineration. But both of these deposal
methods are not eco-friendly which pollutes air, water and soil [11–13].
Plastic recycling offers viable solutions to these problems.
The best ways of recycling these plastic wastes is to use in bituminous

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: melkamubirlie3@gmail.com (M.B. Genet).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscee.2021.100150
Received 26 June 2021; Received in revised form 2 October 2021; Accepted 6 October 2021
Available online 14 October 2021
2666-0164/© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
M.B. Genet et al. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4 (2021) 100150

road construction. The existing bitumen is not capable enough to
withstand large numbers of vehicles and heavy load of traffics for a
considerable period time. Further, the significant variations in daily and
seasonal temperature put engineers in a demanding situation. The
existing bitumen is so susceptible to temperature that bitumen is not
able to be adaptable to a particular location where the temperature
variations are large. Many highway agencies are doing various studies
on environmental suitability and performance of recycled products in
highway construction. Use of these waste plastics in bituminous road
construction will help for the consumption of paramount plastic wastes
[14]. Proper addition of plastic wastes in bitumen improves quality and
service life of the asphalt roads. It has been critically reported about the
importance of considering influential factors in the process of incorpo­
rating waste materials in pavement construction and also suggested that
necessity of experimentation on each material to determine its effective
usability as the asphalting material due to the possession of unique
properties it attributes [15]. However, improperly designed asphalt mix
will lead to various premature structural and functional distresses such
as cracking, long term deformation, water entrapment in voids etc. [16].
Plastic modified asphalt road typically exhibits greater stability towards
heavy traffics loads and high temperature seasonal variations [17].
Polyethylene has been found to be one of the most effective and cost
effective polymer additives in bituminous road constructions which
potentially reduce the use of bituminous binder content [18–20] in
addition to other additives like aggregates and fillers. Low density
polyethylene (LDPE) is the most popular polyethylene plastic type in the
World [21]. According to recent review on plastic waste disposal, most
of the plastic disposed are composed of LDPE [22]. LDPE plastics are
light in weight and its low density arises from the presence of a small
amount of branching in the chain. LDPE plastic density can range be­
tween 0.91 and 0.94 g/mL, it has a crystalline constituent of 50–60%
and has a melting point of around 115 ◦ C [23]. The branching in the
chain gives a more open structure and convenient to modify the property
of pure bitumen and it is unreactive at room temperature. It provides
good resistance to organic solvents with low moisture absorption rates
[24]. Due to these attractive features of LDPE, recent research confirmed
LDPE added asphalt exhibited an improvement both in mechanical and
rheological properties [20]. Latest research on the pavement of subgrade
applications investigates addition of LDPE on different properties in
comparison with other plastic types [25].
From the researchers survey it has been found out some research
gaps in LDPE application for asphalting. In this work optimization were
experimented in both bitumen-LDPE mixing and hot mix asphalt by
considering several factors in selective material in response to me­
chanical and other properties. Hence, this study aimed at investigating
and optimizing LDPE plastics as a modifier of asphalt mix to enhance
asphalt roads pavement stability. The specific objective of this study are
to determine the optimum mixing ratio of waste LDPE plastic contents in
hot mix asphalt and to assess the effect of adding different percentages of
waste LDPE plastic into bitumen on the physical properties of pure
bitumen, to investigate the effect of mixing temperature and time on the
physical property of waste LDPE modified bitumen, to investigate the
marshal mix properties of both conventional hot mix asphalt and waste
LDPE modified hot mix asphalt, to compare the marshal mix properties
between waste LDPE modified asphalt mix with that of conventional
(non-modified) asphalt mix.
2. Materials and experimental
mm sieve size and retained on 2 mm mesh size were taken for bitumen
hot mix asphalt (HMA) modification design.
2.1.2. Bitumen
Bitumen with penetration grade of 80/100 used in this study was
provided from International Fast Highway (IFH) PLC, Chinese asphalt
road construction Company, Bahir Dar branch, Ethiopia. Bitumen grade
80/100 is the most widely used bitumen in Ethiopia for asphalt road
constructions [26]. The physical properties of bitumen in comparison
with Ethiopian road authority (ERA) specification requirements are
given in Table 1. The bitumen used for the mix satisfies the Ethiopian
specification and International requirements [26,27].
2.1.3. Mineral aggregate
Aggregates are the main component of HMA and it consists of coarse
aggregate, fine aggregate and mineral filler. The aggregates and mineral
fillers used in this study were collected from Meshenti local quarry
nearby Bahir Dar city and the location is presented using QGIS version
3.16 software as shown from Fig. 1 (a). Various tests have been done to
define the properties of the used aggregates. Table 2 and Table 3 shows
the physical properties of the different types of aggregates used in the
experiment. All the measured physical properties of the aggregate were
satisfying the Ethiopian road authority and international requirements
[26,27].
2.1.4. Aggregate gradation
To produce identical controlled gradation, aggregates were sieved
and recombined in laboratory to meet the selected gradation which
satisfies local and international standards for HMA preparations. The
coarse and fine aggregate particles were separated into different sieve
size and proportioned to obtain the desired batch mix for 12.5 mm
nominal maximum aggregate size. The amount of aggregate required for
each marshal sample batch mix which will be sufficient to make com­
pacted specimens was 63.5 ± 3 mm high. The sieve analysis for aggre­
gate was conducted as per ASTM C136. Fig. 1(b) shows the proposed
gradation mix was in between the upper and lower gradation limit curve
and it implies that the used gradation satisfies the international and local
requirements for HMA design [26,27].
3. Experimental
The marshal mix design in this study was carried out in to three
phases. In the first phase (conventional HMA design) the OBC in HMA
was determined. In the second phase bitumen-waste LDPE mix was
conducted to study its rheological property as well as to obtain the best
possible parameter interactions. In the third phase (Waste LDPE modi­
fied HMA design) waste LDPE plastic was mixed with the OBC to further
determine the maximum waste LDPE modified bitumen content in the
HMA. Fig. 1 (c) shows the experimental setup of this study and the
overall sequential experimental block flow diagram is presented in
supplementary material.
Table 1
Physical properties virgin bitumen.
Bitumen Property Test method Measurement ERA (2013)
(ASTM) Results Specifications

Maximum Minimum
2.1. Materials
Penetration D5 88 100 80
point (0.1mm)
2.1.1. Waste plastic Softening point D36 44.35 51 42
Shredded waste LDPE plastics were collected from Guna mineral (oC)
a
water and plastic waste recycling factory, Debre Tabor, South Gondar, Ductility (cm) D113 135.67 75
Specific gravity D70 1.03 1.06 1.01
Ethiopia. The LDPE particles were washed by distilled water and dried
for 24 hours in open air. Waste LDPE plastic particles which passed 5 a
Values are not yet specified.

2
M.B. Genet et al. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4 (2021) 100150

3.1. Phase I: conventional HMA design

The Marshal Mix design is used to determine the optimum bitumen

content (OBC). The mixes were prepared according to the Marshall Mix
procedure specified in ASTM D1559 and the international asphalt
institute [27]. Fifteen marshal samples were prepared by varying
bitumen content (4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6%) by weight of total aggregate mix
to determine the OBC of conventional asphalt mix. Virgin bitumen by
the weight of total aggregates and mineral aggregates were separately
preheated until it reaches 150 ◦ C. The Preheated bitumen and aggregate
was mixed in hot mixer (CONTROLS, Milano, Italy, 16-B72/C) at 160 ◦ C
mixing temperature for 10 minutes. The casting mold was prepared and
filter paper was placed at the top and bottom of the mold (to reduce
wastage) before the marshal mix was transferred to the casting mold.
Then, the marshal specimen was compacted using Automatic compactor
(MaTest, Italy, 76-B42/A) using 75 blows (highway roads) of hammers
on either sides of the specimen at a compaction temperature of 140 ◦ C ±
5 ◦ C. After compaction, the marshal sample was cooled in air for 30
minutes at room temperature and it was extracted from the casting mold
using mechanical mold extractor (CONTROLS, Milano, Italy,
16–70080). Finally, the extracted marshal sample was cooled at room
temperature for 24 hours. Samples were then subjected to Marshal
Stability, flow, bulk specific gravity and volumetric analysis. The
pictorial images in the process of sample preparation and testes are
presented in the supplementary material.

3.2. Phase II: effect of process parameters for bitumen-waste LDPE mix

After obtaining the OBC, effect of different parameters including

mixing temperature (160, 170 and 180 ◦ C), Time (1, 1.5 and 2 hours)
and LDPE Mixing ratio (4, 6, 8, ad 10% by the weight of OBC) in
response to rheological properties (ductility, penetration point and
softening point) of waste LDPE modified bitumen was studied. The
ductility, penetration point and softening point test was carried out
using ductilometer (CONTROLS, Milano, Italy, 81-B140), Penetrometer
(CONTROLS, Milano, Italy 81-B100/A) and Ring and Ball Apparatus
(CONTROLS, Milano, Italy, 81-b145/D), respectively. General factorial
with triplicate run for ductility and penetration point and duplicate run
for softening point test was performed.

3.3. Phase III: waste LDPE modified HMA design

Twelve marshal samples of waste LDPE plastic modified asphalt mix

were prepared by taking different waste LDPE plastic content to further
determine the optimum plastic modified bitumen content (OPMBC) in
terms of mechanical test. In this phase, different waste LDPE plastic
content (4, 6, 8 and 10% by weight of OBC) was mixed with virgin
bitumen at optimal (in terms Ductility, penetration point and softening
point) mixing temperature and mixing time with a mixing rate of 500
rpm. The homogenous mix of plastic modified bitumen is then blended
with total aggregate at 170 ◦ C for 10 minutes to prepare plastic modified
HMA. Then the molding and all the subsequent process was conducted
the same as conventional HMA preparation and the mechanical property
of plastic modified HMA was studied. Finally, three marshal samples at
OBC and three marshal samples at OPMBC were prepared to evaluate
the marshal property of the compacted asphalt mix at optimum condi­
tion of OBC and OPMBC to compare their marshal properties.

3.4. Testing analysis

Fig. 1. (a) Meshenti local quarry, (b) gradation curve and (c) experi­
mental setup.
3.4.1. Determination of bulk specific gravity of compacted marshal mix
This test is useful to calculate the percent of air voids of the com­
pacted dense mixes. Specific gravity apparatus (CONTROLS, Milano,
Italy, 11-D612/A) was used to determine the specific gravity of com­
pacted marshal specimens. The specimens that were compacted was
taken out from the mold and allowed to cool at room temperature. Bulk

3
M.B. Genet et al. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4 (2021) 100150

Table 2
Bulk specific gravity and water absorption tests of aggregates.
Aggregate size (mm) Standard (ASTM) Bulk specific gravity (g/cm3) Water absorption (%) Requirements

Bulk specific gravity Water absorption

Coarse aggregate
12.5 C127 2.700 1.59 >2.3 <2%
4.75 C127 2.702 1.95 >2.3 <2%
2.36 C127 2.705 1.87 >2.3 <2%
Fine aggregate
0.3 C128 2.715 2 >2.3 <2%
0.075 C128 2.712 1.60 >2.3 <2%
Mineral filler
< 0.075 D854 2.87 1.51 >2.3 <2%

Table 3
Basic physical properties of used aggregates.
Tests Test method Values Requirements

Los Angeles Abrasion (%) ASTM C131, and C535 17.67 <30
Particle Shape (%) BS 812, Part 105 20.43 <35
Flakiness (%) 31.8
Aggregate Crushing Value (%) BS 812, Part 110 8.45 <25

specific gravity of the compacted mix was determined by using water 100
displacement method according to ASTM D2726. Gmm ​ = (3)
Ps
Gse
+ GPbb

3.4.2. Marshal stability and flow tests

where Pb is bitumen content, Ps is aggregate content, percent by total
Marshal stability and flow of compacted samples were tested as per
weight of mixture, Gb is bitumen specific gravity, Gmm is maximum
ASTM D6927. Marshal samples were placed in a water bath (CON­
specific gravity of paving mixture.
TROLS, Milano, Italy 76-B66/5) at 60 ◦ C for 30 minutes. The moisture
from the Surface of marshal samples were dried by using cotton fabric
3.4.3.3. Air voids analysis. It is the total volume of air (VA), expressed
and then it was immediately placed into the marshal breaking head. The
as a percentage of the bulk volume of the compacted mixture, which is
initial height of the marshal sample was measured before the load was
distributed throughout a compacted paving mixture and is located be­
applied. The testing load at a constant rate of 50.8 mm/min was applied
tween the coated aggregate particles. Air void of compacted mixes was
on the marshal specimen until failure occurs. The load required to
determined using equation (4) [26,27,29].
produce failure of the marshal sample was recorded as its marshal sta­
bility value. Finally, the final height of the marshal specimen after Gmm − ​ Gmb
VA ​ = 100* (4)
failure was measured and the difference between the initial height and Gmm
the final height is the value of flow. Stability for marshal samples was
measured using marshal stability apparatus (CONTROLS, Milano, Italy where: Gmb is Bulk specific gravity of compacted mixture.
76-B003/A).
3.4.3.4. Void in the mineral aggregate. The void in the mineral aggregate
3.4.3. Volumetric analysis of compacted mixes (VMA) is defined by the intermolecular spaces between the aggregate
particles in compacted paving mixtures that includes the air voids and
3.4.3.1. Determination of specific gravity of the total aggregate mix. The the effective asphalt content. VMA is calculated on the basis of bulk
bulk specific gravity was carried out based on the individual coarse specific gravity of the aggregate and is expressed as a percentage of the
aggregate fractions, the fine aggregate and mineral fillers. The bulk bulk volume of the compacted paving mixture. VMA was measured
specific gravity (Gsb) of the total aggregate was calculated using equa­ using equation (5) [26,27,29].
tion (1) [26]– [28]. Gmb ​ Ps
VMA ​ = 100 − (5)
P1 + ​ P2 …… ​ Pn Gsb
Gsb ​ = P1 P2 (1)
G1
+ G2 + ………GPnn
3.4.3.5. Void filled with bitumen. The void filled with bitumen (VFB) is
where Gsb is bulk specific gravity for the combined aggregate, P1, P2 …. defined as the percentage of the intermolecular void spaces between the
Pn are individual percentage by weight of aggregate, G1, G2 … Gn are aggregate particles that is occupied by effective bitumen. It is calculated
individual bulk specific gravity of aggregates. using equation (6) [26,27,29].
VMA − ​ Va
3.4.3.2. Effective specific gravity of aggregate. Effective specific gravity VFB = 100* (6)
VMA
(Gse) of aggregate includes all void spaces in the aggregate particles
except those that absorbed bitumen. Effective specific gravity was
determined using equation (2) and equation (3) [26,27,29]. 3.5. Optimum bitumen content (OBC)

Gse ​ =
100 − ​ Pb
(2) The determination of optimum bitumen content for a particular
mixture under evaluation was performed as per ASTM D1559 and the
100 Pb
Gmm
− Gb
Asphalt Institute [27]. Accordingly, the optimum bitumen content is

4
M.B. Genet et al. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4 (2021) 100150

Fig. 2. Combined effects of (a) mixing ratio-temperature, (b) mixing time-mixing ratio and (c) Mixing time-temperature on ductility; combined effects of (d) mixing
ratio-temperature, (e) mixing time-mixing ratio and (f) Mixing time-temperature on penetration point; combined effects of (g) mixing ratio-temperature, (h) mixing
time-mixing ratio and (i) Mixing time-temperature on Softnening point.

5
M.B. Genet et al.
calculated as the average of bitumen content (BC) values that corre­
sponds to the maximum stability, maximum bulk density and median
percent of air voids as presented in equation (7) [30–32].
maximum ​ stability ​ (% ​ BC) + ​ maximum ​ bulk ​ density(% ​ BC) + ​ median(% ​ BC) ​ Va
OBC ​ (%) =
3
4. Result and discussion
4.1. Effect of process parameters for bitumen-waste LDPE mix
Fig. 2(a–c) shows ductility values in response to mixing ratio, tem­
perature and time. Ductility of modified bitumen sharply slumped as
waste LDPE mixing ratio increases due to the LDPE modified bitumen
became stiffer and more rigid. On the other hand, the ductility of
modified bitumen slightly increases as the temperature increase from
160 ◦ C to 170 ◦ C and then start to decline at higher temperature. The
increase in the value of ductility at 170 ◦ C mixing temperature is due to
better interlocking of polymer molecules with bitumen material. This
good interlocking makes the mix uniform and this creates strong
bonding between the plastic and bitumen molecules. But heating
bitumen at a temperature greater than 170 ◦ C retards the binding
property of modified bitumen. As the mixing time increases from 1 hour
to 1.5 hour the ductility of LDPE modified bitumen increased and then it
starts to fall slightly as the mixing time increases to 2 hours. This
revealed that blending of waste plastic at a mixing time of 1.5 hour
results good adhesion ability between bitumen and plastic molecules.
Fig. 2(d–f) shows trends of penetration point with variation of pro­
cess conditions. Increasing waste LDPE content drastically decreased
penetration point because of the mix become more rigid. As a result the
modified bitumen became more resistant to rutting, less susceptible to
high temperature and less flexibility [28,33]. The reduction in pene­
tration point with increase in temperature is due to polymers in molten
state absorb some oil from bitumen and release low molecular weight
fraction into bitumen which leads to increasing the rigidity of plastic
modified bitumen. Penetration point increases till 1.5 hour. Long mixing
time provides a good mixing condition but prolonged blending time may
have negative effect on the binding property of bitumen by making the
bonding ability between the plastic and bitumen molecules weak.
Softening point is a measure of the temperature at which bitumen
begins to flow and has a direct influence on the resistance to permanent
deformation of the asphalt mixture. Fig. 2(g–i) shows softening point of
LDPE modified bitumen at various LDPE plastic contents, mixing times
and mixing temperatures of LDPE modified bitumen. The addition of
LDPE Plastics into virgin bitumen increases tremendously the softening
point of the modified bitumen. This phenomenon indicates the resis­
tance of LDPEmodified bitumen to heat is increased and it reduces its
tendency to soften in hot weather condition. Thus, the addition of waste
LDPE plastic enhances the softening temperature of bitumen. Various
studies show that the addition of different amount of LDPE in pure
bitumen increases the value of softening point of the bitumen mix [28,
33,34]. In closer look, between 160 ◦ C to 170 ◦ C softening point slightly
decline then increases to 180 ◦ C. This indicates that prolonged heating
affects the internal structure of modified bitumen and this makes the
resulting mixture rigid. The softening point decreases as the mixing time
increases from 1 hour to 1.5 hour then it rise to 2 hours. Enough
blending time attributes to a strong bonding between the molecules of
waste LDPE plastic particles and bitumen. However, too much blending
time decreases the cohesion ability and as a result it makes the resulting
mixture more rigid.
6
Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4 (2021) 100150
4.2. Marshal mix stability analysis
Stability is the maximum load required to produce failure of the
specimen when load is applied. Fig. 3(a) shows the stability HMA at
different bitumen contents. The stability of asphalt mixture increases as
(7)
the bitumen content increases. Maximum value of bitumen content was
at 4.99% and then it started to decrease at higher bitumen content. This
decrease in stability revealed that increasing bitumen content creates
too thick film on the aggregate particles, resulting in loss of inter-particle
friction and this leads to insufficient stability in pavements.
Fig. 3(b) shows the relationship between marshal stability and waste
LDPE modified bitumen content. The marshal stability of modified
asphalt mix increases as the waste LDPE content increases till it reaches
the peak at 7.7%. Then, it starts to decline at higher waste LDPE plastic
contents. The improvement of stability in waste LDPE plastic modified
asphalt mixture is as a result of the better adhesion developed between
bitumen and aggregate particles due to the addition of plastic particles.
This good adhesion was attributed to the specific gravity of LDPE which
is less than that of virgin asphalt. This serves to penetrate between
particles and enhanced interlock of aggregates, which increase stability.
The stability of compacted asphalt mix depends on bitumen cohesion.
Waste LDPE plastic increase the bonding ability of bitumen so that the
cohesion of bitumen also increases. This leads to enhanced strength of
asphalt mixture, which in turn enhances the stability of the asphalt
mixture. Previous studies confirmed that increasing LDPE contents in
HMA increases the stability of the mix up to certain LDPE amount and
then it starts to declines as a plastic content increases [35–38].
4.3. Flow analysis
The flow HMA marshal specimen for different bitumen contents are
shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3(c) the flow of virgin bitumen was
continuously rose with the increase of bitumen contents. This implies
that the decrease in stability will increased flexibility of the asphalt mix.
As a result, the mix becomes not able to resist heavy loads and highly
susceptible to temperature variations. Fig. 3(d) shows the relationship
between flow and waste LDPE plastic content. The flow of waste LDPE
modified asphalt mix decreases at higher waste LDPE plastic content.
The values of flow decrease from 3.33 mm to 2.33 mm at 4% and 10%
waste LDPE plastic content respectively. This indicates that waste LDPE
modified bitumen makes the resulted asphalt mix stiffer and rigid. As a
result, it reduces the flow of HMA. The decrease in flow of the marshal
mix as the waste LDPE content increase also shows that the increase in
resistance to rutting. Higher flow value shows higher flexibility while
lower flow value shows higher rigidity [36,37]. All the flow values of
LDPE modified asphalt mix lies within the International and ERA spec­
ification requirements [26,27].
4.4. Bulk density analysis
Bulk density is the actual density of the compacted mix. The results
of bulk density on conventional and modified bitumen are presented in
Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4(a), it can be noted that the bulk density of
compacted mix increases as the bitumen content increases till it reaches
the maximum peak at bitumen content of 5.3%. Then, it started to
decline gradually at higher bitumen content. As more bitumen is
incorporated to the total mix, the bulk density of the total mix is
decreased. This is due to the fact that the density of bitumen is lower
M.B. Genet et al.
compared to the aggregate density and it affects the total mix bulk
density.
The effect of waste LDPE plastic content on the bulk density of
compacted mixes is shown in Fig. 4(b). 4% LDPE content has possessed
highest bulk density (2.40 g/cm3) while at 10% LDPE content it shows
lowest bulk density (2.390 g/cm3). This decrease of bulk density is due
to bulk density of the waste LDPE plastic which is blended with bitumen
is slightly less than that of pure bitumen. This result agrees with other
researcher investigations [37,38]. Generally the bulk density of waste
LDPE modified asphalt mix was slightly lower than of the conventional
HMA.
Fig. 3. (a) Stability of conventional HMA, (b) Stability of LDPE modified HMA, (c) Flow of conventional HMA and (d) Flow of LDPE modified HMA.
7
Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4 (2021) 100150
4.5. Air void analysis
Fig. 4 shows VA analysis result for both virgin bitumen and waste
LDPE modified bitumen. It is the total volume of the small pockets of air
between the coated aggregate particles throughout a compacted paving
mixture, expressed as a percent of the bulk volume of the compacted
paving mixture. As it is depicted from Fig. 4(c), the maximum VA value
is at the lowest bitumen percentage, (i.e. 4 %). The values VA decrease
gradually as bitumen content increases. This is due to the increase of
VFB in the asphalt mix. As it can be seen from Fig. 4(d), Maximum VA is
obtained at 10% waste LDPE plastic content. Plastic modified bitumen
has higher adhesive ability than conventional asphalt mixes. Three to
M.B. Genet et al.
Fig. 4. (a) Bulk density of conventional HMA, (b) Bulk density of LDPE modified HMA, (c) VA of conventional HMA and (d) VA of LDPE modified HMA.
five percent (3–5%) of the voids in total mix were required to allow the
extra compaction occurred due to traffic loads. Lower voids in mix
caused bleeding when the extra traffic loads react on the mix surfaces.
The VA of waste LDPE modified asphalt mix is higher than that of the
conventional asphalt mix [35].
4.6. Voids filled with aggregate analysis
Fig. 5 illustrates the total volume of voids in the aggregate mix (when
there is no bitumen). VMA is the volume of inter-granular void space
between the aggregate particles of a compacted paving mixture. The
most difficult mix design property is to achieve a minimum amount of
voids in the mineral aggregate. The goal is to furnish enough space for
the binder so that it can provide adequate adhesion to bind the aggregate
particles without bleeding when temperature rises and binder expands.
The value of VMA in asphalt mix is highly affected by VA in asphalt mix
and VFB. Fig. 5(a) presents the results of VMA at different bitumen
contents. The value of VMA decreases as bitumen contents increases. A
8
Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4 (2021) 100150
maximum void in mineral aggregates is found at the lowest bitumen
content 4%.
The value of VMA for waste LDPE modified asphalt mixture is higher
than the conventional asphalt mixture. From Fig. 5(b) it can be seen that
the VMA value increases as the waste LDPE modifier content increases
which is good for flexible pavements. The VMA values extend from
16.37% to 16.42% at Waste LDPE content of 4% and 10%, respectively.
The result agrees with previous studies [35].
4.7. Voids filled with bitumen analysis
VFB are the void spaces that exist between the aggregate particles in
the compacted paving asphalt mixture that are filled with bitumen.
Fig. 5(c) shows VFB at different bitumen contents. Minimum VFB value
is found at the lowest bitumen content. The value of VFB increases
gradually as bitumen content increase which is due to the increase of
voids percentage filled with bitumen in the asphalt mix. The objective of
VFB analysis is to limit maximum level of voids filled with aggregate and
M.B. Genet et al. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4 (2021) 100150

Fig. 5. (a) VMA of conventional HMA, (b) VMA of LDPE modified HMA, (c) VFB of conventional HMA and (d) VFB of LDPE modified HMA.

Table 4
Mechanical properties of hot mix asphalt at OBC and OPMBC.
Mechanical properties of Marshal Mix OBC OPMBC Change amount (%) ERA specification [26] International Specification [27],

Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum

a a
Stability (KN) 15 20.05 +33.67 8 8
Flow (mm) 3 2.83 − 5.7 2 3.5 2 3.5
a a
VMA (%) 16.03 16.41 +2.37 13 13
VA (%) 4.68 4.88 +4.27 3 5 3 5
VFB (%) 70.9 70.3 − 0.85 65 75 65 75
Bulk density (g/cm3) 2.414 2.392 − 0.91 2.3 a
2.3 a

a
Values are not yet specified.

substantially maximum levels of bitumen content. VFB also restricts the
allowable air void content in asphalt compacted mixes. As it is shown in
Fig. 5(d) the value of VFB slightly decreases as the waste LDPE plastic
content increases. Decrease in VFB can be explained as a result of the
bitumen added to the mix is being substituted by waste LDPE plastics
which are comparable with studies reported previously [35].
4.8. OBC and OPMBC for hot mix asphalt
The OBC and OPMBC for conventional and LDPE modified HMA was
determined by taking the average value of bitumen content that corre­
sponds to the maximum stability (4.99%, 7.7%), maximum bulk density
(5.3%, 4%) and median of the air voids (5.2%, 7.8%) respectively, as

9
M.B. Genet et al.
described in Equation (7). The OBC for conventional hot mix asphalt was
found to be 5.16% by the weight of total aggregate mixes and the
OPMBC of waste LDPE plastic modified hot mix asphalt was found to be
6.5% by the weight of OBC.
4.9. Mechanical properties of HMA at OBC and OPMBC
Table 4 shows the mechanical properties of the marshal mixes at
optimum conditions. As it is clearly shown conventional hot mix asphalt
at the optimum bitumen content of 5.16% by the weight of total
aggregate and waste LDPE modified hot mix asphalt at the optimum
waste LDPE plastic content of 6.5% by weight of OBC satisfies both the
local and international requirements [26,27].
4.10. Comparison between LDPE modified and conventional HMA
Comparison of the mechanical properties of waste LDPE modified
asphalt mix at OPMBC (6.5% by OBC weight) and properties of the
conventional asphalt mix at OBC (5.16% by weight of total aggregate) is
shown in Table 4. Waste LDPE modified bitumen asphalt mix exhibits a
greater stability than conventional asphalt mix. The stability of LDPE
modified asphalt mix is increased by 33.67% when it is compared to
conventional asphalt mixture. This increase in stability is because of the
modification of pure bitumen by waste LDPE plastics which in turn
attributed to better adhesion development between the materials in the
hot mix asphalt. Improved stability would positively influence the fa­
tigue and rutting resistance of the modified asphalt mix leading to more
durable asphalt pavement [24,32]. Flow of waste LDPE modified asphalt
mixes are decreased by 5.7% compared to non-modified asphalt mix.
This can be explained as waste LDPE modified asphalt mixes are stiffer
than that of non-modified asphalt mix. The bulk density of LDPE
modified asphalt mix slightly decreases when it is compared to con­
ventional asphalt mix. This is due to the addition of low density plastic
materials in to the asphalt mix. The value of VMA and VA of waste LDPE
modified asphalt mix slightly increases with respect to that of
non-modified asphalt mix. But the VFB of waste LDPE modified asphalt
mix exhibits a very slight decrease when it is compared to conventional
asphalt mix.
5. Conclusions
Major findings of the study indicated that the reuse of waste LDPE is
advantageous in enhancing major properties of bitumen and HMA. From
the results, 170 ◦ C mixing temperature and 1.5 hour mixing time results
a compatible and homogeneous mix between bitumen and waste LDPE
plastic materials. The optimum bitumen content to be added into
aggregate mix was found to be 5.16% by the weight of total aggregate
mix and the optimum amount of waste LDPE plastic content that should
be mixed with bitumen was found to be 6.5% by the weight of OBC. The
stabilities of waste LDPE modified hot mix asphalt were increased
significantly with the increase in waste LDPE plastic content up to 8%
and then decreased as the percentage of plastic mix increases. The sta­
bility of waste LDPE modified asphalt mix at optimum LDPE modified
bitumen content was found to be 33.67% higher than that of non-
modified hot mix asphalt. But the flow of LDPE modified asphalt mix
decreased by 5.7% compared to conventional asphalt mix. This implies
that LDPE modified asphalt mix has lower tendency to experience per­
manent deformation under high traffic loading. The bulk density of
LDPE modified asphalt mix has slightly decreased when it is compared
with normal bituminous asphalt mix. This is due to as a result of the low
density plastic material added to the asphalt mix. The value of the air
voids and the voids filled with aggregates of waste LDPE modified
asphalt mix has slightly increased compared with that of non-modified
HMA. But the voids filled with bitumen of LDPE modified asphalt mix
decreased slightly compared to conventional asphalt mix. This indicates
that waste LDPE modified asphalt mix improves the properties of asphalt
10
Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4 (2021) 100150
mixtures.
Generally, waste LDPE modified asphalt mix improves the mechan­
ical property of asphalt roads in a paramount extent. The modification of
asphalt roads by waste LDPE plastics also contributes to the considerable
consumptions of waste materials and this leads to a significant reduction
of non-decomposable material discharge in to the environment.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgment
The Authors would like to extend sincere gratitude to Bahir Dar In­
stitutes of Technology, Highway engineering Lab technicians for their
excellent assistance. Also, the authors would like to thank Faculty of
chemical and Food Engineering for providing all the lab equipment and
facilities needed to accomplish this research.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.cscee.2021.100150.
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