VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

JNANA SANGAMA, BELAGAVI - 590018

TECHNICAL SEMINAR REPORT (18CVS84)

ON

“UTILIZATION OF PLASTIC WASTE IN ROAD

CONSTRUCTION”
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
IN
CIVIL
For the Academic year 2022-2023

Report Submitted by

CHETHAN KUMAR D N (1MV19CV005)

Under the guidance of

Mr. K.V.R Prasad
Associate Professor Department of Civil Engineering

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SIR M. VISVESVARAYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Bengaluru -562157
2022-2023
 SIR M. VISVESVARAYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Bengaluru -562157

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE

Certified that the Technical Seminar (18CVS84) on “UTILIZATION OF PLASTIC

WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION” prepared by CHETHAN KUMAR D N
(1MV19CV005), a bonafide student of SIR M. VISVESVARAYA INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY. The report is in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of
the degree of “Bachelor of Engineering” in Civil Engineering. From the Visvesvaraya
Technological University, Belagavi, Karnataka, India, during the academic year 2022-
2023. It is certified that all corrections/suggestions indicated for Internal Assessment have
been incorporated in the report submitted to the Department. The Seminar report has been
approved as it satisfies the academic requirement in respect to the work prescribed for the
said Degree.

------------------------------- ------------------------------ ------------------------------

Signature of the In charge Signature of HOD Signature of Principal
Mrs. K.V.R Prasad Mr. Ravi Kumar Prof. Rakesh S.G
Associate Professor Professor & Head Principal
Dept of Civil Engineering Dept of Civil Engineering Sir MVIT, Bengaluru

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare the Seminar Report on “UTILIZATION OF PLASTIC WASTE IN

ROAD CONSTRUCTION” undertaken has been presented under the guidance of
Mr.K.V.R Prasad, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Sir MVIT,
Bengaluru. This topic has not been submitted previously in the Dept. of Civil Engineering
and any other Departments of Sir MVIT.

Place: Bengaluru CHETHAN KUMAR D

N
Date: 1MV19CV005

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A technical seminar is incomplete if it fails to thank all those instrumental in the successful
completion of the report.

I welcome this opportunity to convey my regards, gratitude, respect, decorations, and a

lot of thanks to them who inspired me to complete this report in the stipulated period of
time provided.

It’s a great privilege to place on record my deep sense of gratitude to the Management and

Prof. Rakesh S.G., Principal, Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, who patronized
throughout our career & for the facilities provided to carry out this work successfully.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Ravi Kumar, Professor and Head,
Dept. of Civil Engineering, SIR MVIT, for her constant support and
encouragement.

I would like to thank our project guide Mr.K.V.R Prasad, Associate Professor, Dept. of
Civil Engineering, SIR MVIT, for his valuable guidance and support in the completion
of this seminar.

I thank the teaching and non-teaching staff members who have helped me directly or
indirectly during the Internship.

Finally, I would also like to thank my parents and friends who rendered me active support
for the completion of this seminar report. I acknowledge them with a lot of gratitude and
regard and without all of the above this report may not be easily possible.

CHETHAN KUMAR D N

(1MV19CV005)

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 ABSTRACT

Plastic is a toxic and persistent material. It is generally found to be nearly 5% in Municipal

Solid Wastes (MSW) which is a major environmental threat. Nowadays, plastics are used
in our day-to-day life for enormous purposes viz carry bags in various shops, plastic sheet
materials for making roofs of temporary kutcha houses and hutments, packaging materials
in LDPE & HDPE manufacturing industries, in drinking water supply and sanitary
appurtenances, in electrical appliances, in manufacturing of various electronic appliances
etc. The outcome of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of these plastic materials is not
satisfactory. Generally, people dispose of these plastic materials and plastic products after
their usage on open ground as surface impoundment in lieu their reuse, recycle and
reduction in volume which has become a prominent ecological and environmental
problem. Waste plastic bags and waste plastic materials interrupts the infiltration and
percolation of rain water through soil pores and in turn diminishes the ground water
recharge in aquifers. Nowadays we have tonnes of plastic solid wastes surroundings. There
are so many institutes which after consistent researches have come to a conclusion that
waste plastics can be used in modifying roads. If we use plastics in road construction, we
can reduce the cost of road construction and pollution index of environment to an
appreciable extent. We can use plastics as binder with bitumen. It may give better finish-
ability, stability, binding property, resistance to water and durability.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC Page

No.

CERTIFICATE i

DECLARATION ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii

ABSTRACT iv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER 2: ABOUT THE PLASTIC 3

CHAPTER 3: LITRATURE REVIEW 5

CHAPTER 4: NEED TO STUDY 6

CHAPTER 5: MATERIAL USED 7

CHAPTER 6: STEPS FOR USING PLASTIC IN ROADS 10

CHAPTER 7: ON SITE EXECUTION 11

CHAPTER 8: COMPARISION BETWEEN ORDINARY ROADS AND

PLASTIC ROADS 13

CHAPTER 9: ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES 14

CHAPTER 10: PLASTIC ROADS CONSTRUCRTED 15

CHAPTER 11: CONCLUSION 16

REFERENCES 17

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Utilization Of Plastic Waste in Road Construction

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

A material that contains one or more organic polymers of large molecular weight, solid in
its finished state and at some state while manufacturing or processing into finished articles,
can be shaped by its flow, is called as ‘Plastic’. Plastics are durable and degrade very
slowly; the chemical bonds that make plastic so durable make it equally resistant to natural
processes of degradation. Plastics can be divided into two major categories; thermoplastics
and thermosetting plastics. A thermoset solidifies or sets irreversibly when heated. They
are useful for their durability and strength, and are therefore used primarily in automobiles
and construction applications. These plastics are polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide,
polyoxymethylene and polytetrafluorethylene. A thermoplastic softens when exposed to
heat and returns to original condition at room temperature. Thermoplastics can easily be
shaped and moulded into products such as milk jugs, floor coverings, credit cards, and
carpet fibres. These plastic types are known as phenolic, melamine, unsaturated polyester,
epoxy resin, silicone and polyurethane. According to recent studies, plastics can stay
unchanged for as long as 4500 years on earth with increase in the global population and the
rising demand for food and other essentials, there has been a rise in the amount of waste
being generated daily by each household. Plastic in different forms is found to be almost
5% in municipal solid waste, which is toxic in nature.
It is a common sight in both urban and rural areas to find empty plastic bags and other
type of plastic packing material littering the roads as well as drains. Due to its
biodegradability it creates stagnation of water and associated hygiene problems. In order to
contain this problem experiments have been carried out whether this plastic waste can be
reused productively. The experimentation at several institutes indicated that the waste
plastic, when added to hot aggregate will form a fine coat of plastic over the aggregate and
such aggregate, when mixed with the binder is found to give higher strength, higher
resistance to water and better performance over a period of time. Waste plastic such as
carry bags, disposable cups and laminated pouches like chips, pan masala, aluminium foil
and packaging material used for biscuits, chocolates, milk and grocery items can be used
for surfacing roads. Use of plastic along with the bitumen in construction of roads not only
increases its life and smoothness but also makes it economically sound and environmental
friendly.

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Fig.1: Road built by reusing plastic waste.

Plastic roads are found to perform better compared to those constructed with conventional
bitumen. Further it has been found that such roads were not subjected to stripping when
come in contact with water. Use of higher percentage of plastic waste reduces the need of
bitumen by 10%. It also increases the strength and performance of the road. Plastic
increases the melting point of bitumen and hence missing can be done in more better and
easier way. Inclusion of plastic waste in road construction eliminates the plastic shrinkage
cracking of road surface and reduces the drying shrinkage to some extent.

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CHAPTER 2
ABOUT THE PLASTIC

What is plastic?
A material that contains one or more organic polymers of large molecular weight, solid in its
finished state and at some state while manufacturing or processing into finished articles, can
be shaped by its flow.

TYPE OF PLASTIC ORIGIN

Low density polythene Bags, sacks, bin Lanning

(LDPE)

High density polythene Bottles of pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, milk, fruit

(HDPE) juices, bottle caps.

Polypropylene (PP) Film wrapping for biscuits, microwave trays for

readymade meals

Polystyrene (PS) Yoghurt pots clear egg packs, bottle caps

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Mineral water bottles, credit cards, toys, pipes,
electrical fittings, furniture, folders and pens

PLASTIC PRODUCTION IN INDIA:

YEAR VOLUME IN THOUSAND METRIC TONNES

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2015 1591

2016 1700

2017 1799

2018 1719

2019 1589

2020 1672

2021 1520

2022 1490

HARMFULL EFFECTS OF PLASTICS:

• The littering of plastics in open spaces creates unhygienic conditions, as it acts as a
breeding ground for insects and mosquitoes that cause diseases like malaria and dengue.
• Plastics do not undergo degradation, thus, stay in the soil for many years, which affects
soil fertility and degrades the soil quality.
• When plastic artefacts enter the drainage and sewerage system, they block the pipes and
the drains causing waterlogging.
• The improperly disposed of food bags, when eaten by animals, cause stomach and
intestine related diseases which even lead to suffocation and death.
• Plastic items find their way to the river and other water bodies, which are then swallowed
by fish, seabirds, and other marine species, thus leading to suffocation and death.
• The waste from the plastic manufacturing industry is thrown directly into the water bodies,
thus affecting the chemical property of water, causing hazards on a very large scale.

CHAPTER 3

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LITRATURE REVIEW

 “Plastic Roads: A Recent Advancement in Waste Management”, International

Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, Volume 05, Issue 09,
September 2019
Mr. Huda Shafiq, Anzar hamid
Author’s paper deals with waste management. In this process they used plastic
wastes in the construction of plastic roads. The construction of plastic road is one of
the best methods for easy disposal of waste plastics. The use of innovative technology
will not only strengthen the road construction but also make it economical as well as
increase the life span of roads. The author’s come with a conclusion that in near future
we will have strong, durable and eco-friendly roads that will relieve the earth from all
type of plastic waste.

 “Use of waste plastic in road construction”, International Journal of Engineering

Research and Technology, Volume 07, Issue 04, April 2017
Mr. Ahmed Trimbakwala
The review paper did the detailed study on construction of plastic roads using
waste plastic method. In this review paper plastic is mixed with bitumen.in this plastic
increases the melting point of bitumen and makes the road retain its flexibility during
winters resulting in its long life. The review paper conclude that the plastic roads are
economical than ordinary roads.

 “Construction of Plastic Roads: An effective way to utilize wastes”, International

Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, Volume 04, Issue 11, Nov-2020
Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, Ruchi chandrakar
This paper did the detailed study on construction of plastic roads. The waste
plastic is made powder and varying percent plastic is mixed with bitumen. Polymer
modified bitumen is used due to its better performance. The road can withstand heavy
traffic and show better durability.

CHAPTER 4
NEED TO STUDY

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 Disposal of waste plastic is a major problem.

 It is non-biodegradable.
 Burning of plastic wastes causes environmental pollution.
 To find its utility in bituminous mixes for road construction.
 It mainly consists of low-density polythene.
 Improvement properties in bituminous mix provide the solution for disposal in a useful
way.

Fig 2: Burning of plastic waste.

Fig 3: Disposed plastic waste.

CHAPTER 5
MATERIALS USED

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1. AGGREGATE
The aggregates are bound together either by bituminous materials or by cement. In a few
cases, the rock dust itself when mixed with water forms slurry which acts as binding
medium. The aggregates may be classified into natural and artificial aggregates. The
natural aggregates are again classified as coarse aggregates consisting of crushed rock
aggregates or gravels and fine aggregates or sand. The blast furnace slag obtained as by-
product from blast furnaces is the one extensively used as road construction material.
Stone aggregates used for road work should be hard, tough, durable and hydrophobic for
bituminous surface. Gravel should be well graded (6.4mm to 38mm) and should have
fineness modulus of not less than 5.75. sand should be sharp, well graded, clean of all silts,
clay and organic matter. The quantity of aggregates used in first coat of surface dressing
should be 0.15m^3 per 10m^2 area of 12mm nominal size. On the other hand, the quantity
of aggregate used in second coat of surface dressing should be 0.15m^3 per 10m^2 areas
and of 10mm nominal size. All bituminous and concrete surfacing are principally
composed of aggregate, they play an important role in the behaviour of the pavement
surfacing. The aggregate to be used in road construction should be sufficiently strong to
withstand crushing and several stresses due to traffic wheel load. aggregates used in the
pavement are also subjected to impact due to moving wheel loads and hammering action
due to jumping of tires. Hence, toughness is another desirable property of road aggregate.

Fig 4. aggregate

2. BITUMEN
Bitumen is used as binders in pavements constructions. Bitumen may be derived from the
residue left by the refinery from naturally occurring asphalt. As per definition given by the

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American society of testing materials bitumen has been defined as “mixtures of

hydrocarbons of natural or pyrogenous origin, or combination of both, frequently
accompanied by their non-metallic derivatives, which may be gaseous, liquid, semi-liquid
or solid, and which are completely soluble in carbon disulphide. Bitumen found in natural
state is known as asphalt contains large quantities of solid mineral matter. When petroleum
crude is refined in a refinery, they are separated by fractional distillation in the order of
decreasing volatility. On distillation of the residual bituminous residue, straight-run
bitumen is obtained. This bitumen is known as penetration grade bitumen or steam refined
petroleum bitumen. The grades of bitumen used for pavement construction is known as
paving grades and that used for water proofing of structures is known as industrial grades.
The grade of straight run bitumen is chosen depending upon the climatic conditions of the
region in which surface dressing is to be constructed. In most parts of the India 60/70 and
80/100 grade bitumen is used. Heavier grade cutbacks, rapid setting emulsions or heavier
grade tars may also be used. The grade of basic bitumen is altered either by controlled
refining or by mixing with diesel oil or other oils.
Viscosity of bitumen should be adequate at the time of mixing and compaction. It is
achieved by heating prior to mixing and by use of cutbacks and emulsions. Bitumen should
be durable in all seasons. It should not become too soft during summers and develop
cracks during winters.

Fig 5: Bitumen

3. PLASTIC MATERIAL

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Plastics are usually classified by their chemical structure of the polymer's backbone and
side chains. Some important groups in these classifications are the acrylics, polyesters,
silicones, polyurethanes, and halogenated plastics. Plastics can also be classified by the
chemical process used in their synthesis, such as condensation, polyaddition, and
crosslinking. There are two types of plastics: thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers.
Thermoplastics are the plastics that do not undergo chemical change in their composition
when heated and can be moulded again and again. Examples include polyethylene,
polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) In the
thermosetting process, a chemical reaction occurs that is irreversible. The vulcanization of
rubber is a thermosetting process. Before heating with sulphur, the polyisoprene is a tacky,
slightly runny material, but after vulcanization the product is rigid and non-tacky. The
properties of plastics are defined chiefly by the organic chemistry of the polymer. such as
hardness, density, and resistance to heat, organic solvents, oxidation, and ionizing
radiation.

Fig 5: Crushed plastic

Plastics are durable and degrade very slowly; the chemical bonds that make plastic so
durable make it equally resistant to natural processes of degradation. Since the 1950s, one
billion tons of plastic have been discarded and may persist for hundreds or even thousands
of years. Perhaps the biggest environmental threat from plastic comes from nurdles, which
are the raw material from which all plastics are made.

CHAPTER 6

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STEPS FOR USING PLASTIC IN ROADS

1. Segregation
2. Cleaning process
3. Shredding process
4. Collection process

1. SEGREGATION-
• Plastic waste collected from various sources must be separated from other waste.
• Maximum thickness of 60 microns.

2. CLEANING PROCESS-
• Plastic waste gets cleaned and dried.
• Removal of non-plastic things.

3. SHREDDING PROCESS-
• Different types of plastic wastes are mixed together, and plastics gets shredded or
cut into small piece.
• Plastics crushed into very fine parts which are easy to mix and use.

4. COLLECTION PROCESS-
• Then plastic waste retaining in 2.36mm is collected.

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Fig 6: Plastic segregation Fig 7: Shredding of plastic

CHAPTER 7
ON SITE EXECUTION

There are two types of execution

1. Wet process
2. Dry process

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Fig 8: Rolling of surface.

WET PROCESS
• Blending of waste plastics by direct mixing of shredded plastics with hot bitumen at
160C.
• Mechanical stirrer is needed as the mixing is difficult because of difference in viscosities
of molten polymer and bitumen.
• Addition of stabilizers and proper cooling are required.
• Wet process requires a lot of investment and bigger plants.
• Not commonly used.

DRY PROCESS
• The process is developed by Dr. Vasudevan.
• The aggregate is heated to 170C in the mini hot mix plant.
• The aggregate transferred to puddling chamber.
• The shredded plastic waste is added in equal proportion.

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Fig 9: Hot mix plant

• These plastics get coated over the aggregate uniformly.

Fig 10: Plain and Plastic-coated aggregates

Fig 11: Plastic coated aggregate. Fig 12: Laying of surface course.

 Immediately the hot bitumen at 160C is added with mixture.

 The mixture is transferred to the road and road is laid.

CHAPTER 8
COMPARISION BETWEEN ORDINARY
BITUMINOUS ROADS AND PLASTIC BITUMINOUS
ROADS

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SI.No Properties Ordinary roads Plastic roads

1 MARSHALL STABILITY VALUE LESS MORE

2 BINDING PROPERTY GOOD BETTER

3 SOFTENING POINT MORE LESS

4 PENETRATION VALUE LESS MORE

5 TENSILE STRENGTH LESS HIGH

6 RUTTING MORE LESS

7 STRIPPING MORE NO

8 SEEPAGE OF WATER YES NO

9 DURABILITY GOOD BETTER

CHAPTER 9
ADVANTAGES OF WASTE PLASTIC BITUMINOUS
MIX

 Stronger road with increased Marshall stability value.

 Better resistance towards rainwater and water stagnation.
 No stripping and no potholes.
 Increase binding and better bonding of mix.
 Reduction in pores in aggregate and hence less rutting and ravelling.
 No leaching of plastics.
 No effect of radiations like UV.
 The strength of the road is increased by 100%.

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 The load withstanding property increases. It helps to satisfy today’s need of increased
road transport.
 For 1km*3.75m road, 1 tone of plastic (10 lakhs carry bags) is used and 1 tone
bitumen is saved.
 Value addition to the waste plastics.
 The cost of road construction is also increased.
 The maintenance cost of road is almost nil.
 Disposal of waste plastic will no longer be a problem.
 The use of waste plastics on the road has helped to provide better place for burying the
plastic waste without causing disposal.

DISADVANTAGES OF PLASTIC ROADS

 While cleaning, toxic present in the co-mingled plastic waste would start leaching.
 During the road laying process, in the presence of chlorine will definitely release
noxious HCL gas.
 The components of the road, once it has been laid are not inert.

CHAPTER 10
PLASTIC ROADS CONSTRUCTED
• The bhruhat Bengaluru mahanagara palike (BBMP) has used plastics in construction
of roads.
• In Bellandur, road built with 100% recycled plastic waste between Eco world and
ORR.

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Fig 13: Plastic Road built near ORR in Bangalore.

• Until now, the India has almost 33,700km of plastic roadways.

• However, it must be noted that as of 2022, 703km of National Highways were
constructed using plastic roads.
• In India, till now plastic roads are experimented only in 11 states.

Fig 14: courtesy: K K Plastic waste management ltd.

Fig 15: Plastic Road done by tata enterprise.

CHAPTER 11
CONCLUSION
• The generation of waste plastics is increasing day by day.

• The major polymers, namely polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene show

adhesion property in their molten state.

• Plastics will increase the melting point of the bitumen. Hence, the use of waste plastics

for pavement is one of the best methods for easy disposal of waste plastics.

• The use of the innovative technology not only strengthened the road construction but

also increased the road life as well as creating a source of income.

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• But also increased the road life as well as will help to improve the environment and also

creating a source of income.

• Plastics will increase the melting point of the bitumen.

• Plastic roads would be a boon for India's hot and extremely humid climate, where

temperatures frequently cross 50°C and torrential rains create havoc, leaving most of the

roads with big potholes.

• It is hoped that in near future we will have strong. durable and eco-friendly roads which

will relieve the earth from all type of plastic-waste.

• Plastics increase the melting point of the bitumen. The use of this plastics in road

construction is an innovative technology which not only strengthens the road but also

increases the road life.

• The analysis in this paper reveals that Durability, strength and cost. It is hoped that in

near future we will have strong, durable and eco-friendly roads which will relieve the

earth from all type of plastic waste.

REFERENCES

 Mr. Huda Shafiq, Anzar hamid, “Plastic Roads: A Recent Advancement in Waste
Management”, International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology,
Volume 05, Issue 09, September 2019, ISSN:2278-0181

 Mr. Ahmed Trimbakwala, “Use of waste plastic in road construction”, International

Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, Volume 07, Issue 04, April
2020, ISSN:2250-3153

 Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, Ruchi chandrakar, “Utilization of plastic waste in

construction of roads”, International Journal of Scientific Research, Volume 03,
Issue 04, April-2017, ISSN:2277-8179

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 Mr. Vatsal Patel, Snehal Popli, Drashti Bhatt, “Use of plastic waste in flexible
pavements”, International Journal of application of innovation in Engineering and
Management, Volume 02, Issue 04, April 2021, ISSN:2319-4847

 Mr. Anzar Hamid, “Use of Plastic Wastes in Pavement Construction: An Example

of Creative waste management”, IOSRJEN, Vol 5, Issue 2, February 2020

 Mrs. Bindu C, Dr.K.S. Beena, “Waste plastics as a stabilising additive in Stone

Mastic Asphalt”, International Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol.2
(6)pp.379-387, March 2019.

 Mr. Katie conlon, “Plastic roads: not all they’re paved up to be”, International Journal
of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, Volume 29, Issue 01, Aug 2022

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