Plastic mixed polymer roads are being laid at Terminal 2 of Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport as part of an initiative undertaken by the Bangalore International Airport Limited, the operator of the airport. The project to pave 50 km, which will use nearly 50 tonnes of plastic, is set to be completed by March 2021. Paving of the road began on Thursday.
Speaking to TNM, Sundar Chandramouli, the vice-president of BIAL, said, “Six months ago, we decided to look into ways we could introduce sustainable eco-friendly methods into our practice, and we settled on the plastic road. According to our calculations, the polymer road is less expensive than asphalt roads. As of now, we have acquired 10 tonnes of plastic.”
Chandramouli clarified that there will be diversions for passengers when construction is on, and that they will be asked to use the secondary access road.
The polymer roads being laid at BIAL will replace 6-8% of bitumen or asphalt, the ingredient most commonly used in the construction of roads. Under this method, the plastic is shredded and heated between the temperature of 140-150 degrees celsius, which will then coat the materials and then eventually be mixed with bitumen, producing the final product which will be used to pave the roads.
BIAL will be acquiring plastic through various sources, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). An initiative, #PlasticBeku, has also been started to spread awareness, and under which plastic will be collected at three schools under BIAL. The collection process will also take place at five panchayats of Devanahalli taluk as well as in private schools and Resident Welfare Associations in North Bangalore.
According to BIAL, this process does not emit toxic fumes. The plastic used in the process is consumed permanently and cannot be retrieved.
B V Kiran Kumar, an associate professor at the Government Sri Krishnarajendra Silver Jubilee Technological Institute, said that the road with plastic in it will sustain longer.
“The road will sustain double the period of normal roads — 3 years — as it will endure and stay intact at higher temperatures. Additionally, load retention is also higher since the plastic coating over the aggregates improves the elasticity between particles, due to which it can take higher load.”
“The top layer is impervious, which will prevent water from seeping and causing moisture. This moisture usually aggregates in the pores of roads resulting in erosion,” he adds.
When asked about plastic and the impervious layer's impact on friction, Kiran Kumar said, “The same aggregate, resistance and texture is to be maintained to retain the skid resistance. Besides, there is no other change in the construction and maintenance process.”