Material suitability
Assess recycled thin LDPE plastic waste as a binder in sand pavement blocks.
COMPLETED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Recycled Plastic Pavement Blocks
Experimental research into recycled thin LDPE plastic waste and sand as an alternative binder system for pedestrian pavement blocks.
Uganda Circular economy Pedestrian paving
Project overview
This graduation project investigates thin low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic waste combined with sand to produce pavement blocks for pedestrian applications. It considers a practical way to reduce plastic waste while lowering reliance on cement in paving-block production.
The supplied report describes laboratory-scale production and testing in Uganda, with the intended application context including locations where thin plastic-film waste is prevalent.
RESEARCH QUESTION
What the study investigates
Can recycled thin LDPE plastic waste and sand form pavement blocks with suitable strength, water resistance and temperature performance for pedestrian use?
OBJECTIVES
Research objectives
Mix optimisation
Compare plastic-to-sand ratios to identify a balanced pedestrian-paving mix.
Performance testing
Measure compressive strength, density and water absorption.
Heat response
Evaluate the effect of elevated temperature on the reported block performance.
MATERIALS AND METHOD
Reported experimental approach
Thin LDPE plastic
Thin-film plastic waste was cleaned, prepared and heated to form the composite binder.
Fine sand
Sand provided bulk, rigidity and strength within the plastic-sand composite.
Heat and mixing
The report describes melting plastic at controlled temperatures before combining it with sand and moulding blocks.
Ratios tested
Plastic-sand mixes of 25:75, 30:70 and 35:65 were compared with a cement-sand control.
REPORTED FINDINGS
Results in the supplied report
The following figures are reported in the supplied undergraduate project report and have not been independently verified by CBA.
30 : 70
Reported optimal plastic-to-sand mix ratio by weight
14.8 MPa
Reported compressive strength for the 30% plastic mix
1.1%
Reported water absorption for the 30% plastic mix
998.8 kg/m³
Reported density for the 30% plastic mix
SCOPE AND USE
Responsible interpretation
Pedestrian application
The report scopes the plastic-sand blocks for pedestrian pavement use, not structural or vehicle-bearing applications.
Laboratory scale
Reported findings come from laboratory-scale production and should be validated before broader manufacture or specification.
Circular-material potential
The study explores a route to recover value from thin plastic waste in local construction materials.
RESEARCH CONTACT
Abdiladif Saed Omar
Researcher on the recycled plastic pavement-block study.