Experimental Insight into the Containment of Plastic Waste in Cement-Stabilised Soil as a Road Pavement Layer Material

Abstract

Plastic waste (PW) constitutes a nuisance to our environment despite several efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle it. This study experimentally explores the possibility of storing plastic waste within a cement-stabilised soil that can be used as a road pavement layer material without adversely affecting the geotechnical characteristics of the stabilised soil. The soil is an A-2-6 soil, according to classification by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Compaction characteristics, the California bearing ratio (CBR) and the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of soil with 10% cement were determined for the 0, 2, 5, 10 and 15% addition of PW. The cementing of soil particles, which played a vital role in enhancing its strength on the addition of cement, may have been activated by the pozzolanic reaction between cement and soil particles. However, the addition of PW to this cement-stabilised mix led to a decrease in strength parameters at all variations. The soil with 10% cement and 2% PW yielded higher strength when compared to other mix ratios with PW and is suitable for use as a layer material in road pavement construction. As a sustainable strategy for PW management in developing nations, the usage of PW in cement-stabilised soil layer is recommended.