The utilisation of End-of-Life Plastics for the production of paver blocks: A waste management and disposal strategy

Abstract

The volume of municipal solid waste in developing countries continues to grow, yet disposal and management have become significant challenges.  As a result, a proper disposal strategy is required.  The feasibility of making paver blocks from plastic waste for construction work was investigated in this study.  Paver blocks manufactured from plastic waste (PP and HDPE) and sand in varied proportions were evaluated for compressive strength, water absorption, and abrasion resistance.  Paver blocks were manufactured with plastic (PP and HDPE) to sand ratios of 30:70%, 40:60%, 50:50%, 60:40%, and 70:30%, or PP30, PP40, PP50, PP60, and PP70, and HDPE30, HDPE40, HDPE50, HDPE60, and HDPE70.  The paver blocks were inspected after 28 days.  Compressive strength, LA abrasion, and water absorption of paver blocks increased from 30% to 40% HDPE, then fell to 70%.  As paver block PP content grew from 30% to 70%, abrasion and water absorption decreased.  The compressive strength of PP paver blocks declined from 30% to 50% PP, then increased somewhat, and then fell to 60% and 70% PP.  PP60 and HDPE40 paver blocks had the highest compressive strength, abrasion value, and water absorption.  HDPE40 pavers have lesser water absorption and more abrasion than PP60 pavers.  PP60 water absorption and abrasion were 0.53% and 11%; HDPE40 was 0.03% and 24.2%.  PP60 and HDPE50 have compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and water absorption of 20.09 MPa, 11%, and 0.53%, respectively, and 13.06 MPa, 12.1%, and 0.03%.