Applicability of plastic waste in road construction
Abstract
This report presents findings of a study carried out to solve two major problems in Uganda; firstly, the management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), particularly with regards to used plastics which have overwhelmed major towns; secondly, the formation of potholes on roads due to excessive traffic and axle weight. This study examined the effect of blending waste thermoplastic polymer, namely Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) in conventional 80/100 grade bitumen at various plastic compositions. Basic rheological parameters such as penetration, ring and ball softening point and viscosity tests were employed to determine the resulting changes from base bitumen. For all modified binders prepared, the penetration values decrease as polymer-bitumen ratio increases while softening temperature generally increases as polymer-bitumen ratio increases. Viscosity of base bitumen is also enhanced by addition of polymer. The use of waste plastics in binder modification is an effective means of enhancing conventional bitumen binder performance characteristics and is an alternative way to utilize plastic waste.