NEW DELHI: In a first for the road sector, govt has used waste plastic as a wet mix with bitumen to lay a bituminous highway stretch, a move that is likely to reduce imports of the key construction material while addressing the growing problem of plastic waste.On Thursday, a pilot test section was laid on the main carriageway of NH-44 in Jhansi. Officials associated with the pilot said the technology has potential to reduce conventional bitumen consumption by around 4%, lowering demand for a material that India largely imports to meet domestic requirements. They added that the modified bitumen could cost around 20% less than conventional bitumen.The waste plastic wet-process technology for producing premium-quality Waste Plastic Modified Bitumen (W-PMB 76-10) has been developed by IIT (BHU), Varanasi, under a research programme funded by the ministry of road transport and highways. The performance of the pilot stretch will be monitored by IIT (BHU) to assess its long-term engineering performance and field suitability, officials said.India generates around 25,000 tonne of plastic waste every day. Until now, waste plastic has been used in road construction only as a dry mix with aggregates while laying the bituminous layer. The new method mixes processed waste plastic directly with bitumen before it is laid, making it the first such pilot on a national highway.Officials said the technology offers multiple benefits, including the value-added reuse of waste plastic through a scientifically controlled process and improved rut resistance of bituminous mixes under high ambient temperatures and heavy axle loads.
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The technology has also recently been granted a patent. The low-density polyethylene (LDPE) used in the process — a soft, flexible and lightweight thermoplastic made from petroleum — includes discarded irrigation pipes, waste files and plastic folders. The material has been processed with the support of local recyclers and MSMEs, creating an opportunity to integrate local waste recycling with infrastructure development.“Laboratory evaluations have shown that LDPE-modified bitumen provides better resistance to moisture damage and greater resistance to rutting at high temperatures. The modified binder increases the stiffness and high-temperature performance of asphalt, helping pavements withstand permanent deformation under heavy traffic loads and extreme temperatures,” an official said.
