Sustainable Road Construction By Incorporating Non-Biodegradable Waste In Hma: An Experimental Study

Abstract

The increasing demand for durable and sustainable roads has become a pressing issue due to rising traffic volumes and varying climatic conditions. The disposal of non-biodegradable waste from industrial sources poses a significant environmental challenge. This study explores the potential of utilizing recycled materials, such as discarded plastic and rubber, in road pavement construction to reduce environmental impact.

By incorporating a blend of Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and Crumb Rubber (CR) into Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) concrete, we investigated the feasibility of improving its engineering characteristics. The blend, termed Eco (Economic & Environment friendly) Mix was substituted for bitumen in varying proportions (3%-9%). Marshall testing was conducted to evaluate volumetric properties, stability, and flow.

This experiment was conducted using three different Eco Mix formulations (1, 2, and 3) which are three ratios of bitumen to recycled waste (1:1, 1:2, and 1:3). The results showed that replacing 7% of bitumen with Eco Mix 2, which contains 2.34% low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and 4.66% crumb rubber (CR), yielded the most promising performance in terms of improved engineering properties. This suggests that incorporating recycled materials into road construction can be a sustainable and effective solution that addresses both environmental concerns and the need for durable infrastructure.