Infusing asphalt with plastic could help roads last longer and resist cracking under heat

Infusing Asphalt with Plastic Could Help Roads Last Longer

A technology mixes small amounts of recycled plastic with asphalt – the black, sticky material used to make roads and parking lots. The result is a stronger road that lasts longer and keeps some used plastic out of the environment. This process is like adding rebar to concrete: The plastic adds flexibility and strength. Roads with this mix can better handle extreme temperatures and heavy traffic. In hot places, that means fewer cracks and pothol…

Infusing asphalt with plastic could help roads last longer and resist cracking under heat

A stretch of road near Rockwall, Texas, paved with plastic-infused asphalt. Md. Sahadat HossainGlobally, more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced each year, and less than 10% is recycled. Much of the rest ends up burned, buried or drifting through waterways, a problem that’s only getting worse. As a civil engineer, I started asking a simple question: Instead of throwing used plastic away, what if we could build something useful with it…