Rotterdam, the Netherlands - Tarmac is out, plastic is in. At least, that’s the view of Dutch construction firm VolkerWessels which intends to use recycled plastic as a road-building material in a bid to cut construction and maintenance time, as well as extend the expected lifespan of roads.
The proposed project, dubbed PlasticRoad, would see Rotterdam become the first city in the world to lay down plastic road tiles made in advance in a factory.
The idea has been put forward as a greener alternative to asphalt, as each module will be made from recycled plastic bottles.
VolkerWessels also said that the roads would be quicker to build, taking weeks instead of months. When a section of road gets damaged, it could easily be removed and replaced with prefab plastic roads that could slot together like Lego bricks.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
The firm says the surface would require less maintenance than the traditional road-building material - asphalt - and could better withstand extreme temperatures, as low as 40 degrees and as high as 80. It would also be more resistant to corrosion and last three times as long as asphalt.
Additionally, the PlasticRoad design features a hollow space that can be used for cables, pipes and rainwater. The plan could also be more environmentally friendly, as asphalt is responsible for 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year globally, making up two percent of all transport emissions, according to the firm.
One potential drawback is that the road could be more slippery when wet, however.
Star Motoring