Abstract
Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste, with potential to be reused, are wasted in landfills. Based on a literature review and in a local market analysis, cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) waste arose as the material with the greatest potential to be tested for incorporation in asphalt mixtures due to the difficulty in its recycling and the lack of solutions for its reuse. Thus, in the present work, mixtures produced with and without PEX were tested in order to compare their performance, aiming at understanding if this waste could successfully be used as an alternative material for this type of application. Thus, water sensitivity, rutting resistance, stiffness modulus and fatigue cracking resistance tests were carried out on asphalt mixtures with up to 5% PEX. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the incorporation of PEX in asphalt mixtures is a viable solution for paving works, especially when high service temperatures are expected. It also decreases the density of the mixture, which can be attractive to lighten structures. Thus, this technology contributes to give new life to cross-linked polyethylene plastic waste.
Highlights
The contemporary Society is stimulated by consumption, resulting in increasing demands for the use of scarce natural resources and in the production of large amounts of waste
According to the study presented in this manuscript, regarding the use of PEX as a partial substitute of aggregates and a binder modifier in asphalt mixtures, a series of conclusions can be drawn, as follows: Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) waste can be partially melted into hot bitumen, modifying the final properties of the resulting binder
When incorporated into asphalt mixtures as an aggregate partial substitute, PEX reduces the density of the mixtures by about 5%, which may be an advantage in specific circumstances, namely, during transport and in the application over structural elements, like bridges
Summary
The contemporary Society is stimulated by consumption, resulting in increasing demands for the use of scarce natural resources and in the production of large amounts of waste. This unsustainable scenario is observed in the road infrastructure sector, where significant amounts of construction and demolition waste are sent to landfills every year. The development of solutions that promote road pavement durability and reduce the amount of waste shall be promoted. Several other wastes are difficult to recycle and may even need some treatment before being disposed. It would be interesting to use wastes to improve the performance of road pavements. Plastic wastes are one of the most promising solutions [5], while millions of
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