The Lucknow
Development Authority (LDA) is constructing a road using plastic waste for
the first time ever. The road is constructed from Gomti Nagar Police Station to Indian
Institute of Management (IIM) under a pilot project by LDA
in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The LDA has followed guidelines of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) in
road construction.
The research showed mixing plastic waste
increases the durability of the roads by 40-50%. These roads will be more
durable and will stay in good condition for a longer time. Around 8-10% of
plastic waste is being mixed in coal tar.
The initiative was inspired after the success of
roads in many foreign countries. In India too, many civic bodies have started
road construct using plastic waste in an environmental-friendly experiment. The
LDA plans to conduct more research on this road experiment in the next two
years to know if there can be some improvement.
Plastic
roads:
The implementation of plastics in roads has
opened a new option
for recycling post consumer plastics. The US, the UK, Australia,
Indonesia, India and many other countries have used
technology which can incorporate plastic waste into an asphalt mix. Plastic
composite roads, however, have existed and demonstrate characteristics superior
to regular asphalt concrete roads; specifically, they show better wear
resistance.
Central
Road Research Institute (CRRI):
CRRI was established in 1952. The CRRI is
located in New Delhi. It is a constituent laboratory of India’s Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research. It conducts research and development
in the areas of design, construction, maintenance and management of roads and
airport runways. It also works in area of traffic and surface transportation
planning.
