Concretevs. Modified Concrete: ABrief Literature Review of Sustainable Options for Modified Road Surfaces

Abstract

Now-a-days plastic and rubber are everywhere. Plastic is found from agriculture to automobile sectors. The increasing numbers of vehicles on the roads generate millions of used tires every year. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency 290 million scrap tires were generated in 2003 (EPA, 2007). The disposal of these wastes is turning out to be a great problem. These are non-biodegradable products due to which these materials pose environmental pollution and problems, abnormalities and even a decline in quality of life. The recycled tire rubber can be used in new tires, tirederived fuel, in civil engineering application and products, and for various other purposes. But using these rubber and plastic wastes in pavement construction is being widely considered with great interest in many developing countries. The use of these materials in pavement construction is based on technical, economic, and ecological criteria. Several million metric tons plastic and rubber wastes are produced in India every year. If these materials are suitably operated in road construction, the pollution and disposal problems may be partly reduced. Keeping in mind the need for bulk use of these wastes in India, vast experimentation is construction, the pollution and disposal problems may be partly reduced. Keeping in mind the need for bulk use of these wastes in India, vast experimentation is being carried out to develop specifications and enhance their use in road construction. The benefits of using rubber modified asphalts or polymer aggregate bitumen are being more widely experienced and recognized unlike in India. More possibilities of using these materials should be developed for construction of low-volume roads in different parts of our country. A review of various plastic and rubber wastes and their advantages and disadvantages for use in the construction of roads have been discussed in this paper. Considering that these technologies are still struggling to be fully adopted worldwide, mainly because of poor information, lack of support of local policies, the present paper aims to be an updated reference to clarify benefits and issues associated with these sustainable and much needed technologies.