E-Waste plastic powder modified bitumen: rheological properties and performance study of bituminous concrete

Bitumen being a viscoelastic material sometimes needs modification for stability under adverse environmental conditions. Several researchers have carried out the modification of bitumen with unconventional materials namely; crumb rubber (CR), fibers, etc. In this study, Viscosity grade (VG) -30 bitumen has modified with e-waste plastic powder and termed as e-waste plastic powder modified bitumen (EPPMB). Noticeable improvement in rheological properties of EPPMB was observed when tested with a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and conventional tests. Bitumen modified with 5% e-waste plastic powder by weight of bitumen fulfills the guidelines of Indian specification, hence was selected for further study. Marshall stability of bituminous concrete (BC) prepared with EPPMB which is named as EPPMBC was found to be improved. Cyclic triaxial tests were performed to evaluate complex modulus parameters at 10, 25 and 40 degrees C for 0.1-10 Hz frequency. Dynamic modulus was improved up to 10% at 40 degrees C. Reduction in phase angle (delta) at 40 degrees C may be attributed to the increase in elasticity of EPPMBC. The fatigue resistance improved by 19% at 10 degrees C whereas rutting resistance enhanced by 28% at 40 degrees C.