Experimental Investigation of Geopolymer Flexible Pavement with Waste Plastics Aggregates

Abstract

The world is facing a greater issue in the disposal of waste plastics and there is an intense need for research on alternate and sustainable solutions for environmental issues. Waste plastic can be used as aggregates or as a protective layer over aggregates to increase their strength. The aggregate used in flexible pavements was investigated in this study, as well as the use of Geo-Polymer to improve the pavement’s strength and durability. The design of the pavement is done according to the Indian standard codes IRC. Dense bituminous macadam and base courses are taken into account as per the design criteria. The geo-polymer flexible pavement was tested for properties such as the wearing test. Other fundamental tests for aggregate and bitumen used in pavements include specific gravity, flash point, fire point, ductility, softening point, penetration test, water absorption test, bonding strength, durability, and temperature resistance. When geo-polymer plastic bitumen is heated and put as a coating over the base course, it allows the user the air gaps with additional plastic and binds over the aggregate, resulting in increased road stability, smoothness, and vehicle braking effects. It is concluded that with 5% addition of the geo-polymer with bitumen has performed well in all aspects of the bitumen characteristics.

Keywords

• dense bituminous macadam, base coarse, shredded waste plastic, flexible pavement, geo-polymer, bitumen