Laboratory Study on Bituminous Concrete Pavement Using Low Density Polyethylene

Abstract

In today’s constructive world, traffic is  increasing day by day. It ultimately influenced our road  constructions. The objective of this research is to  investigate the impact of incorporating low-density  polyethylene (LDPE) into bituminous concrete pavements.  The construction process of a flexible pavement road  involves several stages, including the base course, placement of premix, rolling and check for quality control  parameters etc. The robustness of bituminous pavements  in resisting moisture damage is significantly impacted by  environmental conditions.. Aging & oxidation of  bituminous binder lead to the deterioration of the  bituminous surfacing due to traffic movement after its  construction. Moreover plastic pollution also causes  damage to our environment. The process of mixing  bituminous materials at elevated temperatures within Hot  Mix Plants (HMA) results in the production of dangerous  gases. This has a negative effect on the environment by  contributing to climate change and reducing the potential  transportation distance for flexible pavements. In this article a research investigation was carried out to probe  into the influence of substituting Low Density  Polyethylene (LDPE) waste in varying proportions within  bituminous mixes at five distinct levels of bitumen  contents 4.6%, 4.9%, 5.2%, 5.5 and 5.8%. This study  investigated how different types of mixes affect Marshall  Properties, which are important indicators of the quality  and durability of bituminous mixes. The results showed  that including plastic in the mixes improved their stability,  with the greatest stability achieved when using 6.0%  LDPE plastic. Therefore using low density polyethylene is  a viable option for creating high quality bituminous mixes.