Pavement
- Publication no: AP-T351-19
- ISBN: 978-1-925854-51-0
- Published: 24 October 2019
- PDF (free) Download
This report examines the viability of using recycled plastics in asphalt and sprayed seals by Australian and New Zealand road authorities. The report presents the findings of a literature review, including case studies of local and overseas road trials. It finds that waste plastic can act as a partial aggregate replacement in bituminous mixes and a binder extender without having any significant influence on the properties of the asphalt mix. However, not all recycled plastics are suitable for bitumen modification at high temperatures. It also finds that while there may be environmental benefits associated with the use of recycled plastic, there are concerns regarding the potential health and safety hazards that road workers might be exposed to while handling these materials, sustainability impacts, and impacts on the surrounding environment.
- Summary
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1 Background
- 1.2 Structure of Report
- 2. Waste Plastic
- 2.1 Classification of Plastics
- 2.2 Plastic Recycling Processes
- 2.3 Consumption and Recycling by State/Territory in Australia
- 3. Use of Recycled Materials in Roads
- 3.1 Benefits of Recycling
- 3.2 Purpose of Using Recycled Material in Roads
- 3.2.1 Is it a value-added material?
- 3.3 Recycled Materials Currently in Use in Australasia
- 3.4 Toner
- 4. Incorporating Recycled Plastics into Asphalt Mixes
- 4.1 General Approach
- 4.2 Mixing Processes
- 4.2.1 Dry Process
- 4.2.2 Wet Process
- 4.3 Role of Recycled Plastics
- 4.3.1 Aggregate extender
- 4.3.2 Binder extender/modifier
- 4.3.3 Asphalt modifier
- 4.4 Optimum Size of Plastic for Recycling
- 5. Case Studies – Road Trials
- 5.1 Australian Experience
- 5.1.1 MacRebur
- 5.1.2 Downer Group
- 5.1.3 Alex Fraser
- 5.1.4 Fulton Hogan (Australia)
- 5.1.5 Sprayed sealing applications
- 5.2 New Zealand Experience
- 5.3 Overseas Experience
- 5.3.1 Netherlands
- 5.3.2 Canada
- 5.3.3 India
- 5.3.4 Other countries
- 5.1 Australian Experience
- 6. Areas of Concern
- 6.1 Occupational Health and Safety
- 6.2 Microplastics
- 6.3 Future Reuse of Waste-modified Bitumen or Asphalt
- 6.4 Compatibility and Storage Stability
- 6.5 Materials Lifecycle Sustainability
- 7. Governance
- 7.1 Governance Framework
- 7.2 EAPA Position Statement on Waste in Asphalt
- 7.3 The Need for an Australian Framework on the Use of Waste Plastic
- 7.4 Performance Specifications and Performance Indicators
- 7.4.1 Approaches to specify the required performance of a product
- 7.4.2 What is a prescriptive specification?
- 7.4.3 Performance related/ based specification for using plastic in asphalt and sprayed seals
- 7.4.4 Setting measurable performance indicators
- 7.4.5 How is risk allocated/transferred?
- 8. Conclusions and Recommendations
- References
- Appendix A Consultation List
- Appendix B Acronyms