Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Utilization of Plastic Waste in Concrete Pavement

Researchers investigated the use of recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic waste as an aggregate in concrete pavement mix designs, finding that incorporation of HDPE improved mechanical performance and durability while reducing landfill waste and energy consumption in the concrete sector.

2025 Processes
Article Tier 2

Developing Sustainable Asphalt Mixtures Using High-Density Polyethylene Plastic Waste Material

Researchers evaluated asphalt mixtures incorporating high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic waste as a sustainable road pavement material, assessing whether recycled plastic can improve or maintain pavement performance while addressing plastic waste disposal.

2023 Sustainability 24 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review on the Use of Polyethylene Waste in Hot Mix Asphalt: Material Properties, Performance Enhancement, and Sustainability Perspectives

This review examines the use of low-density and high-density polyethylene waste as modifiers in hot mix asphalt, finding that PE incorporation can improve binder performance and pavement durability while diverting plastic waste from landfills. The authors assess material properties, environmental benefits, and economic considerations, positioning plastic-modified asphalt as a viable circular economy approach in road construction.

2025 Journal of Engineering
Article Tier 2

Second Life for Plastic Fibre Waste Difficult to Recover: Partial Replacement of the Binder in Asphalt Concrete Mixtures by Dry Incorporation

Researchers found that incorporating waste plastic fibers from municipal solid waste into asphalt concrete as a partial bitumen replacement improved resistance to plastic deformation and mechanical performance, with results approaching those of polymer-modified bitumen mixtures while improving material sustainability.

2023 Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Durability and Aging Characteristics of Sustainable Paving Mixture

Researchers incorporated shredded low-density polyethylene plastic waste into asphalt paving mixtures, testing the durability and aging characteristics of the resulting material. Reusing waste plastic in road construction is one approach to reducing the plastic that otherwise enters the environment and breaks down into microplastics.

2021 International Journal of Engineering 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Performance and environmental impacts of waste plastic-modified asphalt pavement: a comprehensive review

This review examined recent research on using waste plastic to modify asphalt pavement and found that it generally improves road durability while reducing harmful emissions during production. However, challenges remain around plastic-bitumen compatibility and potential microplastic release during the pavement's lifetime, and the authors call for more standardized environmental assessments to ensure the approach is truly sustainable.

2025 Cleaner Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Plastic Waste on the Workability and Mechanical Behaviour of Asphalt Concrete

Researchers found that incorporating plastic waste into asphalt concrete using a dry process improved selected mechanical properties including stiffness and fatigue resistance in some formulations while maintaining acceptable workability, supporting plastic waste as a viable bitumen extender for road construction.

2022 Applied Sciences 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of eco-friendly asphalt mixtures incorporating waste plastic aggregates and additives: Magnesium, fly ash, and steel slag

Researchers tested adding waste plastic aggregate (WPA) to asphalt road mixtures at various concentrations, finding that 5% WPA content performs well and meets durability standards while also potentially reducing microplastic generation compared to exposed surface-layer applications. The study suggests recycled plastic can be practically incorporated into road construction to divert plastic waste from landfills.

2023 Case Studies in Construction Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineering properties, microplastics and emissions assessment of recycled plastic modified asphalt mixtures

Researchers evaluated the mechanical performance and environmental impact of adding recycled low-density polyethylene and commingled plastics to hot-mix asphalt, finding reduced moisture resistance but also assessing microplastic release and emissions from these recycled plastic-modified road materials.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Recycling in Asphalt Concrete Pavements: Preliminary Observations from Hawaii’s Pilot Project

This paper presents results from a Hawaii pilot project testing asphalt mixes containing recycled plastic waste, evaluating their pavement performance. Incorporating plastic waste into road surfaces permanently sequesters it, preventing these materials from fragmenting into microplastics in the environment.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Impact Comparison Analysis between a Traditional Hot Mixed Asphalt (HMA) and with the Addition of Recycled Post-Consumer Polyethylene Terephthalate (RPET) through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Methodology

This study conducted a life cycle assessment comparing traditional hot mixed asphalt with asphalt containing recycled PET plastic, evaluating environmental impacts of incorporating post-consumer plastic waste into road pavement construction.

2023 Sustainability 13 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Recycled Plastics in Asphalt Mixtures: A Systematic Review of Mechanical Performance, Environmental Impact and Practical Implementation

This systematic review evaluates using recycled plastics in road asphalt as a way to reduce plastic waste. The research found that incorporating recycled plastic can actually improve road durability while diverting waste from landfills. This approach matters for microplastic reduction because it locks plastic into road surfaces rather than allowing it to break down freely in the environment.

2025 Applied Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Polymer-Modified and Plastic-Reinforced Asphalt: A Comprehensive Review of Performance, Rheology, and Sustainability

Researchers reviewed recent developments in polymer-modified and plastic-reinforced asphalt systems, synthesising findings on performance enhancement, rheological behaviour, and sustainability implications of incorporating recycled plastics and polymer modifiers into asphalt binders and mixtures.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Polymer-Modified and Plastic-Reinforced Asphalt: A Comprehensive Review of Performance, Rheology, and Sustainability

This review examines recent advances in polymer-modified and plastic-reinforced asphalt, evaluating how elastomeric modifiers, plastomeric modifiers, and recycled plastic integration affect pavement performance, rheological properties, and environmental sustainability across studies published from 2020 to 2025.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review on sustainable utilization of plastic waste in asphalt: assessing environmental and health impact, performance, and economic viability

Researchers systematically reviewed plastic-modified asphalt, finding that while recycled plastic waste can improve road performance in some cases, it also poses environmental health risks through microplastic release, carcinogenic compound emissions, and volatile organic compound off-gassing, with cost-effectiveness varying widely by plastic type and processing method.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

RILEM interlaboratory study on the mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures modified with polyethylene waste

An international round-robin laboratory study tested the mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures modified with polyethylene waste across 11 laboratories on four continents, finding that PE waste can improve asphalt performance at the mixture scale. The study addressed stability and homogeneity challenges encountered when PE waste is blended into asphalt binders.

2022 Journal of Cleaner Production 48 citations
Review Tier 2

Waste Plastic in Road Construction, Pathway to a Sustainable Circular Economy: A Review

This review examines existing literature on incorporating waste plastic into road construction, finding that its inclusion can improve pavement performance and durability while offering a pathway to divert non-biodegradable plastic from landfills.

2023 E3S Web of Conferences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Polymer-Modified and Plastic-Reinforced Asphalt: A Comprehensive Review of Performance, Rheology, and Sustainability

This review consolidates advances from 2020-2025 in polymer-modified asphalt systems — covering elastomeric and plastomeric modifiers, recycled plastic incorporation, rheological characterisation, and environmental implications — to evaluate how plastic reinforcement of asphalt can improve pavement durability while supporting sustainability goals.

2025 International Journal of Science and Research Archive
Article Tier 2

Utilization of plastic waste as replacement of natural aggregates in sustainable concrete: effects on mechanical and durability properties

Researchers tested concrete made with recycled polyethylene and PET plastic aggregates substituted for natural sand and gravel, finding that while plastic additions reduced compressive strength and increased water permeability, they improved impact resistance and chloride resistance, with PET concrete showing no microplastic leaching.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Recycling micro polypropylene in modified hot asphalt mixture

This study incorporated recycled polypropylene microplastics into hot asphalt mixtures and evaluated the resulting performance, finding that small additions of plastic waste can improve certain mechanical properties of asphalt while offering a pathway to reuse plastic waste in road construction.

2023 Scientific Reports 26 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

The Use of Waste Polymers in Asphalt Mixtures: Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review

This systematic review examines how waste plastics can be recycled into asphalt road mixtures, potentially reducing plastic waste in the environment. Researchers found that adding polymer waste to asphalt can actually improve road durability while diverting plastics from landfills and waterways. This matters because reducing plastic waste at the source is one way to lower the amount of microplastics that eventually break down and enter our food and water.

2023 Journal of Composites Science 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Natural Rubber Latex-Modified Concrete with PET and Crumb Rubber Aggregate Replacements for Sustainable Rigid Pavements

Researchers tested concrete mixes that replaced conventional aggregates with recycled PET plastic and crumb rubber waste, modified with natural rubber latex. The results show that waste plastic can be incorporated into road pavement concrete, offering a way to divert plastic waste from landfills while creating durable construction materials.

2023 Preprints.org 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microscopic Properties of Asphalt and Polyethylene at an Extraordinary High Dosage through Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Molecular dynamics simulations were used to explore how adding waste polyethylene at high doses (20% by weight) changes the properties of asphalt, a potential strategy for recycling plastic waste in road construction. The results showed modest density reductions and that compatibility between asphalt and polyethylene depends strongly on PE chain structure, offering molecular-level guidance for designing plastic-modified pavements that repurpose waste plastic.

2024 Buildings 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Utilization of Plastic Waste in Road Paver Blocks as a Construction Material

Researchers evaluated the use of recycled plastic waste in road paver blocks in India, finding that incorporating recycled plastic improved block strength and weather resistance compared to conventional materials, offering a construction application for plastic waste.

2023 CivilEng 18 citations