TECHNICAL PAPER PRESENTATION

USAGE OF PLASTIC WASTE IN ROAD CONSRTUCTION

RVR & JC COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, CHOWDAWARAM, GUNTUR.

Presented by
P.T.APURVA Civil Engineering 3rd year (reg. no:Y8CE886) E-MAIL:ptapurva2008@gmail.com

solid

waste

management;

better

environmental hygiene; reduction in the consumption of bitumen by 10%; No toxic emission; better road; withstand heavy load, ABSTRACT: Disposal of waste plastic bags from the domestic has become a become a major problem to the agencies in the cities. The waste plastic bags available in the domestic waste plastic mainly consist of low density polyethylene.The laboratory studies proved that waste plastic enhances the property of the mix in addition to providing for the way for its disposal in a useful way. In the present investigation, comparison was made between convention bituminous concrete mix and the mix modified with waste plstic.The results indicated that the strength properties of the mix with waste plastic were better when compared with a conventional mix. The fatigue life was doubled using waste plastic in the mix under laboratory condition.Plastics are user friendly but not eco-friendly as they are non-biodegradable.. The better binding property of plastics in its molten state has helped in finding out a method of safe disposal of waste plastics, by using them in road laying. The benefits are many - Helps in safe disposal of waste plastics by a eco-friendly way; improved INTRODUCTION Plastics, a versatile material and a friend to common man becomes a problem to the environment after its use.. There is no way what so ever you can safely dispose of plastic.So the only way to reduce the hazards of plastic is to reduce the use of plastic and thereby force a reduction in its production .Polymer modified bitumen is emerging construction as one of the for important flexible materials cost is less,mix used for Rural &Highways roads.

pavements. Use of plastic waste in the construction of flexible pavement is gaining importance because of the several reasons. The polymer modified bitumen show better properties for road construction & plastics waste, otherwise considered to be a pollution menace, can find its use in this process and this can help solving the problem of pollution because most of the plastic waste is polymers. PLASTIC Definition:Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may

contain

other

substances

to

improve

effectively.Central mixing plant helps to have better control of temperature and better mixing of this Material thus helping to have a uniform coating and heated bitumen is also sprayed. 4. LAYING OF BITUMENOUS MIX:The plastics waste coated aggregate is mixed with hot bitumen and the resulted mix is used for road construction. The road laying temperature is between 1100c to 1200c. The roller used is 8-ton capacity. FIELD TRAILS: There are two types of field trials: 1) DRY PROCESS:The aggregate was heated to around 1700C and the shredded plastic waste (size between 2.36mm and 4.75 mm) was added. Plastics got softened and coated over the aggregate. The mix of aggregate and plastic was compacted and cooled. The block was very hard and showed compressive strength not less than 130 MPa and binding strength of 500 kg/cm2. This shows that the binding strength of the polymer is good.The polymer coated aggregate was soaked in water for 72 hours. There was no stripping at all. 2) WET PROCESS:In the wet process, crumb rubber (0.150.6 mm) is blended with bitumen for a minimum of 45 min at

performance and/or reduce costs. Monomers of plastic are either natural or synthetic

Basic proceses:(PROCESSING DETAILS) 1.COLLECTION OF WASTE PLASTIC: Waste plastic is collected from roads, garbage trucks, dumpsites or compost plants, or from school collection programs, or by purchase from ragpickers or waste-buyers at Rs 5-6 per kg. ( Rag-pickers) 2. CLEANING AND SHREDDING OF WASTE PLASTIC: Waste plastic litter in the form of thin-film carry-bags, use-and-throw cups, PET bottles, Etc. these are sorted, de-dusted, washed if necessary. 3. MIXING OF SHREDDED WASTE PLASTIC, BITUMIN IN AGGREGATE CENTRAL AND MIXING

PLANT: The aggregate mix is heated to 1650c (as per the HRS specification) in central mixing Plant .Similarly the bitumen is to be heated up to a maximum of 160c.The 8% of waste plastic to the weight of bitumen are added in the conveyor belt or special mechanical device is developed which will spray the plastics inside the chamber to coat the plastics

elevated temperature prior to contact with aggregates, usually in the range of 1822% bitumen weight (Hicks, 2002). Light

3. POLYMER MODIFIED BITUMEN: The studies on the thermal behavior and binding property promoted a study on the preparation of plastic waste-bitumen blend and its properties to find the suitability of the blend for road construction. PREPARATION OF BLEND:

fractions of bitumen transfer into the Rubber making the rubber particles swell and the bitumen harden. The binder viscosity is increased allowing for additional bitumen to be used, which in theory can help reduce top down. Thermal cracking and bottom-up reflective cracking, and improve mix durability (e.g. resistance to moisture, oxidation and fatigue). CHARECTERISATION PLASTICS: 1. Binding energy:The molten plastic waste inhibits good binding property. Following experiments were carried out to study the binding property. 2. Thermal Study: A study of the thermal behavior of the polymers namely OF WASTE

Polyethylene carry bags were cut into pieces using a shredding machine. It was sieved and the plastic pieces passing through 4.75mm sieve and retaining at 2.36mm sieve were collected. These plastic pieces were added slowly to the hot bitumen of temperature around 170-1800C. The mixture was stirred well using mechanical stirrer for about 20-30 minutes. Polymer-bitumen mixtures of different compositions were prepared and used for carrying out various tests 1.Soundness Test:Soundness test is

polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, shows that those polymers get softened easily without any evolution of gas around 130-1400C, this has been scientifically verified.At around 3500C they get decomposed releasing gases like methane, ethane etc and at 7000C they undergo combustion, producing gases like CO and CO2.

intended to study the resistance of aggregate to weathering action. The weight loss is attributed to the poor quality of the aggregate. The plastic coated aggregate did not show any weight loss, thus confirming the improvement in the quality of the aggregate

2.Aggregate Impact value: It is clearly observed that the coating of plastics improves Aggregate Impact Value, thus improving the quality of the aggregate. Moreover a poor quality of aggregate can be made useful by coating with polymers 3. Los Angeles Abrasion Test:When the Los Angeles abrasion value of plain aggregate is compared with the Plastic coated aggregate; the values are less for polymer coated aggregate. Coating of waste plastics over aggregate will improve the Los Angeles abrasion value. Thus we can improve the Los Angeles abrasion value of soft aggregate to a better one. Similarly the coating of plastics reduces the crushing value Characterization of blend: 1) were Separation prepared and Test (IRC-SP:53to the

that there is a separation of polymer from bitumen on standing. 2. Determination of Softening Point (IS:1205-1978):The particular degree softening of softening is the under temperature at which the substance attains a specified condition of test. The softening point of bitumen is usually determined by Ring and Ball test.The softening point increases by the addition of plastic waste to the bitumen. Higher the percentage of plastic waste added, higher is the softening point. The influence over the softening point may be due to the chemical nature of polymers added. 3. Penetration Test (IS: 1203-1978): The penetration test determines the hardness or softness of bitumen by measuring the depth in tenths of a millimeter to which a standard loaded needle will penetrate vertically in 5 seconds. The bitumen grade is specified in terms of the penetration value. The increase in percentage of polymer decreases the penetration value. This shows that the addition of polymer increases the hardness of the bitumen. 4. Ductility: It is important that the binders form ductile thin films around the aggregate. The ductility is expressed as the distance in

1999):Samples of different composition subjected separation test. The following observations were made on the basis of their softening point values. Homogeneity was obtained approximately up to 1.5% blend. Beyond this composition, the variation of softening point was much higher for the top and bottom layer of the test samples showing

centimeters to which a standard briquette of bitumen can be stretched before the thread breaks. 5. Flash and fire point (IS: 12091978):The studies of flash and fire points of the plastic waste-bitumen blend helps to understand the inflammability nature of the blend. Flash point the flash point of a material is the lowest temperature at which the vapour of a substance momentarily takes fire in the form of a flash under specified condition of test.Fire points the fire point is the temperature at which the material gets ignited and burns under specified conditions of test ADVANTAGES OF PLASTIC WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION: 1. It utilizes higher percentage of plastic waste.The need for bitumen will be reduced by 10%. 2. It increases the strength and

CONCLUSION: Plastic will increase the melting point of the bitumen.The use of innovative technology not only strengthens the road construction but also increases the road life.This helps in improving the environment.Plastic road would be a boon for Indias hot and extremely humid climate where durable and eco friendly roads which will relieve the earth from all type of plastic waste. These processes are socially highly relevant, giving better infrastructure. Let us grow with these newer technologies. REFERENCES: Vasudevan .R, utilization of waste plastics for flexible pavement, Indian High Ways (Indian Road Congress), Vol.34, No.7. (July 2006). S.S.Verma,(2008),Roads 47 Kajal , N K S Pundhir , Sangita and A Chandra(2007), Use of waste plastics and copper slag for low cost bituminous roads, Journal IRC, Of Scientific and Industrial for Research,Vol.66.pp.938-994 Tentative Specifications Bituminous Surface dressing Using Prefrom plastic waste, The Indian Concrete Journal ,pp.43-

performance of the road.The cost for the construction will be reduced to around Rs.5000/km. of single lane road. 3.It will generate jobs to rag pickers.A technology will be developed which is eco friendly.

coated Aggregates, IRC: 48-1972, Indian Roads Congress ISI, Indian Standards Specifications for Roads Tar, IS: 215, Indian standard Institution