Plastic mix for New Town road repairs

KOLKATA: The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) on Tuesday started a pilot project where the civic body used bitumen blended with plastic waste to repair roads. The first road to repair such a coat will be near Akankha More in Action Area II of New Town.
The environment-friendly and cost-effective experiment will happen on a 400m-long and 10m-wide stretch. “About 6% of crushed plastic is being mixed with bitumen aggregate to form this material. The strength and longevity of the new layer will be tested. If it is found to be durable more durable than only bitumen that was used earlier, this plastic-mixed material will be used on more stretches,” said an NKDA official.

Authorities are using plastic segregated from the solid waste dumping ground in New Town.
“The crushed and recycled plastic is being melted and then blended with bitumen at 180°C temperature before being laid on road surface,” an NKDA official explained.
Officials said the idea behind using such plastic-mixed bitumen for road repairs is to impart more strength to the road surface and protect it from rainwater that causes the bitumen layer to flake off. “There are a few advantages of using this kind of plastic-mixed bitumen. First, since 6% plastic is being used, bitumen cost will be around 6% less. Second, plastic being a water proof material will resist seepage of water and will thus ensure that the roads survive beyond monsoon,” the official said.
Polymer-modified bitumen, which is a pre-existing road construction material, gives more strength, high cohesiveness and improved resistance to road surface and normally lasts at least 10-15 years more than normal bitumen-layered roads.
The material has not been used much for repairing road stretches in the city as it is costly. “The longevity and durability of the material that Hidco authorities are using is to be seen,” said a road construction expert.