New Lightweight Construction Material: Cellular Mat Using Recycled Plastic

Abstract

Applications of lightweight construction materials enable the design and construction in challenging, difficult and demanding scenarios. Construction materials with enhanced stiffness as in sandwich panels, large portable structures and floating foundations are examples of such materials. The advent of cellular structure technology has actively introduced innovation and enabled design and construction, meeting engineering requirements such as in the construction of the body of air crafts. Cellular mat structures present in the minimum, triple benefits in being lightweight, load sharing and minimising non-uniform deformation. This paper further explores the use of recycled plastic waste as the base material for an innovative geomaterial. The combination of cellular structure, mat structure and use of recycled waste material is a desirable development in manufacturing. Paper also outlines the techno social benefit of adopting such material in construction. Other application-specific benefits related to cellular mats are those like noise reduction, energy absorption, thermal insulation, mechanical damping. This paper specifically presents the development of a new multifunctional lightweight material is been proposed as an invective innovation for highway construction on challenging ground condition.