Abstract:
Urbanization, changes in life style and development of many
activities are leading to a widespread pollution of landscape
by plastic bags. Plastic bags waste management has become a
real concern for the society globally because they are widely
used, they are non-biodegradable and they show an
anaesthetic view. Solutions have been scientifically found by
simply recycling those bags for the sake of sustainability and
the improvement of road material properties. Waste plastic
bags have been used for totally replacing the conventional
cement in concrete paving blocks to improve desired
engineering properties of paving blocks for road pavement.
This paper aims at evaluating the influence of coarse
aggregate on the mechanical and physical properties of paving
blocks made using melted Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE).
Melted LDPE are mixed as binder with sand and coarse
aggregate to make paving blocks for road pavement purposes.
In conventional paving blocks making process, cement paste
is used as binder. Cement can technically be replaced with
melted plastic waste to make paving blocks more flexible as
concrete blocks are basically used for rigid pavement. Paving
blocks containing LDPE, sand and coarse aggregate with
different mix ratios were prepared, tested and the results were
discussed. Paving blocks made using waste LDPE plastic and
sand, with addition of 5% of coarse aggregate show better
mechanical properties, flexibility, and more resistant to water
absorption.