Tamil Nadu   

Waste plastic prolongs roads' life

Special Correspondent

Plastic bitumen roads have not shown signs of wear and tear even after 3 years Plastic bitumen roads have not shown signs of wear and tear even after 3 years

MADURAI: Laboratory tests and field trials on application of waste plastic in road laying have shown a considerable reduction in the use of bitumen and an appreciable increase in the life of roads. A plastic-free environment is the bonus.

Records available at the Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, here, reveal that waste plastic-bitumen roads have not shown signs of wear and tear after three years.

Even the unprecedented rain has not dented them. `Plastic road technology,' for which patent is pending, is seen as a boon to Tamil Nadu, whose summer and monsoon conditions have a telling effect on roads.

The technology, applied on test roads, has proved effective even on the hilly terrains of Udhagamandalam.

Its advantages are manifold: there is a 10 per cent reduction in the use of bitumen (as per conservative estimates); even if plastic is bought, it costs Rs 6 a kg, against Rs. 14 a kg of bitumen; as plastic binds well with bitumen, there is no water seepage; in the absence of potholes, the road has a longer life; and it provides employment to self-help groups, which could be involved in collection of waste plastic.

Besides, waste plastic will not choke water sources during monsoon. Instead, it will add strength to the roads.

According to R. Vasudevan, Head, Department of Chemistry, a normal road, which adheres to all specifications laid down by the Department of Highways, should last at least five years.

A `plastic road' would last 10 years.

He points out that any kind of plastic, except polyvinyl chloride, can be used in road laying. The bond between polymer and bitumen is so strong and hydrophobic that water seepage and stripping are ruled out. In summer, there is considerable reduction in bleeding.

In her letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking Rs. 3,000 crore from the National Calamity Contingency Fund, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said more than 20,000 km of roads was damaged in rain and floods. Use of waste plastic to relay the roads would help to clean up the environment and add strength to roads, besides saving money, Dr. Vasudevan said.

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