Utilisation of Waste Plastics Admix with Laterite Soil for Production of Road Pavement Interlocking Blocks

Abstract

Plastic wastes are non-biodegradable and hence pile up in refuse dumps and streets constituting an eyesore and menace to the environment. Some of them end up in drainages and waterways where they block water passages resulting in flooding. This is in addition to the fatalities they cause to livestock and marine life that ingest them unknowingly. Globally, plastic waste proliferation has been recognized among the biggest environmental challenges mitigating the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This research intends to transform the unwanted plastic wastes by mixing with laterite soil to produce road-paving interlocking blocks. Laterite soil was mixed with plastic waste at various proportions by respective weight denoted as P1 (60:40%), P2 (70:30%), and P3 (80:20%) to determine their usability as road paving material. Maximum compressive strength of 9.68, 10.40, and 6.88 N/mm2 were achieved for P1, P2, and P3 respectively, implying the P2 mix has the best strength. The paving interlocking blocks made from plastic-laterite composite registered a relatively high performance and met the minimum compressive strength required by the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute for interlocking paving blocks deployed for non-traffic use.