Use of Waste Plastic in Flexible Pavements-Green Roads

Abstract

Wrappers of betel nuts, chocolates, chips, hand bags, cold drink bottles and all other forms of plastic create significant environmental and economic problem. They consume massive energy and other natural resources, depleting the environment in various ways. In manufacturing firms, construction industries and products delivery services, use of plastic is a priority to handle and pack things comfortably due to its light weight, cost effectiveness and strength. Plastics cannot be banned as it will result in usage of natural resources like paper, wood at a great extent. It is made up of various chemical elements and is regarded as a highly pestilent material which does not easily degrade in the natural environment after its usage. Waste plastics are made up of Polyethylene, Polystyrene and Polypropylene. Temperature varying between 120 ℃ - 160 ℃ gives the softening point of these plastics [5]. They do not produce any toxic gases during heating but the softened plastics have tendency to form a lamination or coating over the aggregate, when it is sprayed over the hot aggregate at 160 ℃ . The main objective of this paper is to discuss the significance of plastic in terms of cost reduction, increase in strength and durability when these plastics are heated and coated upon the aggregates (160 ℃ ) to compensate the air voids with plastic and binds with aggregate to provide stability.