Using plastic waste in pervious asphalt road construction as an eco-friendly and urban flood mitigation measure :

Abstract

Urbanization and improper waste management practices have led to surge in plastic waste particularly polyethene and PET which pose significant environmental challenges. The improperly disposed plastic waste are carried by running water during heavy down pour blocking the drainage channels causing flash flooding. By diverting plastic waste from landfills and incorporating it in pervious road construction will help reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste disposal while simultaneously enhancing the road’s ability to control flash flooding. This study will examine the properties and feasibility of using plastic waste in pervious road construction through the achievement of following three objectives; Objective one: To determine the effective pervious coefficient using software’s such as SWMM for simulation of runoff quantity and quality, Google earth was used for generating the map of study area, objective two: To determine the optimum mix ratios of neat pervious asphalt and test for neat pervious asphalt road properties through carrying out comprehensive literature review, characterization of materials used and laboratory testing of plastic material and mixed plastic pervious asphalt, objective three; To determine the optimum mix ratios of blended pervious asphalt and test for pervious plastic asphalt properties. This helps in predicting the performance of bituminious mixes modified with plastic. comparison of blended pervious asphalt with the neat pervious asphalt was made and the results showed that there was increase in ITS from 79KN to 80.3KN. Therefore, incorporating plastic waste in road construction helps improve on mechanical strength as well as management of plastic waste disposal.