PLASTIC ROADS -

Proposal Muhammad Ayesh

A product by Mohammad Bin Shabbir

Arslan Ahsan
Humza Nadir
Noor Ud Din Ahmed
Plastic Roads – An Introduction
• The World faces global problems like the flooding of urban areas
plastic waste and traffic congestion on a large scale
• COMPAS Pvt. Ltd. together with POLO Pipes, leading supplier of
plastic pipes and pipe systems are developing a new kind of Road
• Advantages over existing products and that contributes to solving
some important global problems like
o recycling plastic instead of burning it or putting it in
landfills and reducing hindrances for road users
o easy to install
o a solution to reduce flooding in urban areas
o sustainable and contributes to a circular economy

The Process
• Plastic waste will be recycled into lightweight prefabricated hollow
elements
• Compared to conventional roads less heavy equipment is needed to
deliver and construct plastic roads making the ecological footprint a
much smaller
• Hollow space which can be used for drainage of excess t
• Ground is less prone to subsidence
• Fewer repairs are needed
• Damaged element is easily replaced
• Prolonged life expectancy of the plastic Road
 Literature Review

• [1] A. F.Ahmad, "Utilization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in

bituminous mixture for improved performance of roads," IOP publishing, p.
10, 2005
• In his research A. F. Ahmad [1] used PET (polyethylene Terephthalate) to
find out the prospects to improve the mixture properties of asphalt. The
purpose was to decide the best amount of PET that should be used. For
experimental, Marshall mix design was used to find out the optimum
bitumen binder content and to test the modified mixture properties
• [2]M. E. Abdullah, "Effect of waste plastic on the physical and rheological
properties of bitumen," IOP publishing, p. 7, 2016
• In his research article Mohd Ezree Abdullah [2] discussed the rheological
properties of bitumen. He observed rheological properties of bitumen by
performing different tests for example penetration, softening point,
penetration index, viscosity, direct shear rheometer test and penetration
viscosity number (PVN)
Literature Review
 Hypothesis

If content of plastic waste increases, the

penetration value, softening point and
viscosity of bitumen also increases hence
addition of plastic waste should improve
the performance of bitumen when it is
added into bitumen
 Objective of Study
• Plastic roads are entirely made up of shredded form of plastic
obtained from plastic bags, cups and PET bottles with bitumen
• Standards of plastic road are different from normal road
• Plastic composite roads have characteristics superior to regular
asphalt concrete roads; specifically, they show better wear
resistance
• The implementation of plastics in roads also opens a new option
for recycling post consumer plastics
• Australia, Indonesia, India, United States, and many other
countries have used technology which can incorporate plastic
waste into an asphalt mix
Research Methodology

Both qualitative and quantitative data will be

used to conduct research
 Ethical/Legal consideration

• Research was carried out near River Ravi where most of the Lahore’s slum areas are located
• The “kachi abbadi” has unpaved roads
• Apart of the slum area River Ravi is facing pollution crisis with 1000 tonnes of plastic waste only
• According to various studies conducted by the World Wild Fund (WWF) and other agencies, pollution in River Ravi has
reached a level where not only is it unsafe for human consumption but it is also unsuitable for watering crops and for
animals to drink from.
• Hence, C.O.M.P.A.S pvt ltd has signed a MOU with LWMC (Lahore Waste Management Company) that will provide us
with the plastic waste which we can use in plastic roads in order to develop slum areas
• Before signing MOU the LWMC was told about the project and after months of negotiations the both parties agreed to
sign a memorandum
• Not only this the C.O.M.P.A.S Pvt. Ltd. is been ensured full support by the government of Pakistan
• The first step would be to develop the slum areas near River ravi. Also before considering this we carried out a research
and people near Ravi have come up with full support. Because right now their major problem is the transportation of
goods
Ethical/Legal consideration
• While carrying out research the privacy of people was ensured
• Before interviewing people in slum areas they were told about the
project
• To ensure no misuse of funds a memorandum has been sign
between C.O.M.P.A.S pvt ltd and the government of Pakistan and
any legal action can be taken against the conduct
• EPA (Environment Protection Act)
• The major hindrance was from EPA of Pakistan. They want to
make sure that using plastic might not have adverse effect on the
environment
• A research was carried out by EPA itself before they agreed on
the terms
5 terms agreed between C.O.M.P.A.S and EPA
1. The plastic waste would not be misuse and should only be use in
construction of roads
2. No kind of plastic should be seen near slum houses
3. The plastic waste should not be burned
Time Schedule

• Envisioned start date: November 19th, 2018

• Proposed Completion date: March 28th, 2019
• Testing Start Date: November 25th, 2018
• Testing completion date: February 8th, 2018
• Duration: 76 Days
Conclusion

The Plastic Road has the following advantages over conventional Asphalt Roads:

• Increased durability of roads

• Increased skidding resistance
• Decrease in Rutting
• Improved performance
• Efficient in dry and Hot weather
• Eco friendly
• Sustainable solution for waste disposal
• Plastic free world
References

• [1] A. F.Ahmad, "Utilization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in bituminous mixture for

improved performance of roads," IOP publishing, p. 10, 2005

• [2]M. E. Abdullah, "Effect of waste plastic on the physical and rheological properties of

bitumen," IOP publishing, p. 7, 2016

Thank you