Use of plastic waste for modified bitumen production for flexible pavement

Abstract

Concerns about the ever-increasing generation of plastic waste have been mounting. Innovative and practical solutions to manage plastic waste is a pressing need of the society. Recycling of plastic into flexible roads has a potential for absorbing large quantities of plastic waste. The most popular methods of incorporating plastic into flexible roads are classified into wet and dry techniques. The wet technique, in which the plastic is added to the bitumen prior to the formulation of an asphalt mixture, is one of the most commonly used methods. The primary advantage of this technique is that it reduces the amount of bitumen required. Bitumen is the most expensive material in road construction and at the same time has the greatest environmental impact. However, studies have revealed some significant drawbacks to this technique, including increasing the viscosity and reducing the storage stability of bitumen, as well as the potential of microplastic generation, thus leading to a higher environmental impact than regular pavement. With these issues in mind, the goal of this project was to develop and propose a suitable additive to bitumen from waste plastics that eliminates or reduces the aforementioned issues. [...]