Recycled Plastic Waste as Binder Modifier for SMA Mix in Gulf Environment

Each year, millions of tons of household and industrial waste, including plastic, are responsible for harming the environment through burning, land-filling, or going to dump i...in open water. The rising of plastic waste is a major challenge for society and needs sustainable solutions. Waste plastic disposal is a critical issue faced by municipalities in modern cities. One of the promising schemes is to reuse them as modifiers of asphalt mixtures to replace expensive virgin polymers. The development of hundreds of kilometers of roads worldwide leads to the consumption of vast quantities of raw materials and the depletion of valuable natural resources. The growing traffic volume and climatic change necessitate enhanced road material qualities. The Ministry of transportation and Logistics Services (MOTLS) and other organizations use asphalt additives to enhance the pavement's characteristics in response to harsh environmental and increased traffic volume changes. The high expense of virgin modifier material and rising plastic waste has shifted the focus of research toward green pavements utilizing waste plastics which is more cost-effective and sustainable than virgin polymers. This research will evaluate the recycled plastic waste as binder modified for Stone Mastic Asphalt mix (SMA). The performance of the modified binder will be evaluated under the upper-grade temperature of PG 76 (for the environment of the gulf region) and Heavy traffic conditions (H) using the Superpave Performance Grade System (PG). The PG system is required to measure different characteristics to evaluate the modified binder: percent recovery (%R), non-recoverable strain compliance (Jnr), viscosity (η), shear modulus (G*), the phase angle (δ). In addition, the performance evaluation of the SMA mix will be evaluated by determining the rut resistance, moisture damage resistance, and drain-down sensitivity.