Institution: Temple University
Proposal No: 1101197
This EAGER project will test the hypothesis that plastic waste mixed with soil and aggregates can be used to produce durable and clog-resistant porous materials (porous plastic-based cementitious material, P-PBC) which can be used for pervious pavements. Plastic waste disposal has become a major concern for both the public and scientific communities alike. The manufacture of P-PBC utilizes a large quantity of plastic bottles that are currently sent to landfills, littered and/or incinerated. There are three research goals in this project: (1) Evaluation of durability and clogging characteristics of P-PBC materials. (2) Micro-structural investigation of P-PBC materials and (3) Life cycle assessment and cost analysis of P-PBC materials. The findings from this work will advance the state-of-knowledge of porous materials in pavement engineering. This study will also open the door for further research on the recycling of plastic waste into useful construction materials. The study will support one graduate student from Temple University. It will also provide summer internships to two students from Temple?s neighboring high school (Carver High School of Engineering and Science, i.e., CHSES) to conduct research in the PI?s laboratory. The student body at CHSES is 81% African-American, 8% Asian and 5% Caucasian. The primary risk in this project comes from the fact that P-PBC has not been tested for its longevity and resistance to clogging, a necessary step before it can be used as pavement slabs on roads, sidewalks or even parking lots. This work will provide necessary preliminary data on durability and clogging characteristics of P-PBC needed to submit full research proposals.
Bruce Hamilton Program Director Environmental Sustainability 10/16/10
Pervious pavements are a potentially vital solution to urban environmental engineering issues through their ability to reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality and reduce heat island effects. Pervious pavements have other advantages, in addition to their environmental benefits, when compared to traditional asphalt and concrete pavements. They produce a drier surface during a storm event making these systems safer to drivers and pedestrian. They also reduce traffic noise. However, the freeze-thaw durability and potential for clogging of pervious pavements have been of a major concern to both the scientific and engineering communities. Plastic waste has become a significant component in municipal solid waste and a concern to many groups. The amount of plastic waste in landfills continues to increase due to the increase of plastic sales and packaging over the past decades. More than 28 out of 30.7 million tons of plastic waste have been sent to landfills and/or incinerated in the United States in 2007. Our continuous dependence on plastics increases the need for creating new methods for handling them after their initial use. This study evaluated the durability and clogging characteristics of a newly developed porous plastic-based cementitious (P-PBC) material. P-PBC mixtures produced from PET plastic flakes, soil, and a limestone-type aggregate were used to prepare specimens for durability and clogging testing. P-PBC beam specimens demonstrated positive durability results indicating resistance to the damage incurred on pavement materials in cold climate conditions. Clogging findings showed that P-PBC performance is similar performance to that of previous concrete. This study has not only increased the knowledge about the durability and clogging characteristics, but also provided information on the mechanism of deterioration of P-PBC when subject to freeze-thaw cycles. The use of P-PBC’s has many benefits: environmental by 1) recycling a large quantity of plastic waste that is otherwise sent to landfills, littered and/or incinerated through the use of discarded plastic bottles, 2) decreasing stormwater runoff, 3) replenishing groundwater; in pavement and geo-engineering applications by promoting the use pervious pavements with less susceptibility to clogging and with enhanced durability. As an added bonus, P-PBC has a cost comparable to that of concrete and/or asphalt and uses less energy. In addition, the study on P-PBC has encouraged sustainable construction materials education at both the secondary, undergraduate and graduate levels in the Temple University community. Students from underrepresented groups were employed during this study.
