A study on use of waste polythene bituminous paving mixes

Abstract

Bituminous binders used in pavement construction works include both bitumen and tar. Bitumen is hydrocarbon material of pyrogenous origin, made available as by product of fractional distillation of crude petroleum. Bituminous materials are very commonly used in highway construction because of their binding and their water proofing properties. Plastic has become common man’s friend. It finds its use in every field. Nearly 50% of the plastic consumed is used for packing. The most used plastic materials for packing are carry bags, cups, thermocoles and foams. These materials are manufactured using polymers like Polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. The tubes and wires are made of poly vinyl chloride. These materials, once used are either thrown out or littered and ultimately get mixed with Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). As the plastic is non-biodegradable, its disposal is a problem and it causes social problems contributing to environmental pollution. Especially pollution caused by plastic is a very critical problem of the present society. In the present research work, the plastic blended bituminous mix using `Zycothermal` a chemical stabilizer is prepared by replacing optimum bitumen content with 8%, 10%, and 12% of plastic by weight of bitumen and Marshall Stability and flow values are compared with straight run bituminous mix.