The romans built roads of multiple layers of stone that so stabilized them that water could not break them down. This was very labor intensive and expensive. Macadam is a much cheaper way of waterproofing the surface by using tar and gravel to repel the rains that turn roads to mud. Much of the plastic waste now plaguing the world is thermoplastic which means ir melts at temperatures now used to lay macadam. Since plastic is as waterproof as tar and as persistent, why not incorporate waste plastic into road systems thus putting to use its long lasting qualities where they are now a nuisance?
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Pavement is basically tar and gravel. But the problem with waterproofing unstabillized roadway is that it causes pot holes, big pot holes. An area that is waterproof adjacent to an area that isn't causes the area that isn't, to get muddy, wash out, and create relatively sharp edges between the transition. Repair is difficult, because the moisture undermines the adjacent waterproof surfaces.
I think the plastics can be recycled into other products like lumber, insulation, moldings, and other building materials.
I could imagine adding plastic pellets to provide a textured or elastic surface in pavement.
Despite the potholes macadam is a good alternative to a dirt road and shifting thermoplastic discard materials to binding for gravel as a supplement or replacement for tar would at least put it to some use instead of being a bulk addition to garbage fill which is becoming untenable. I doubt that plastic would be as durable as ground up discarded rubber tires as a flexible material for road surfacing.
PolyAggreRoad, or PAR, was invented and tested by a British Columbia, Canada teenager some time ago. It incorporates 6% waste plastic in the aggerate mix.http://www.inventors.ca/gina/
As a sidenote, though, air quality testing on such products shows the plastic emits some not so good fumes when heated with asphalt.http://www.tsr.fi/tutkimus/database/summary.html?id=103069
Because this would save billions, I assume (?) that the problem comes from the massive weight applied to the plasticized roads. We really need this, and if a way is found then someone will become very rich. (I did just submit an idea for a sky-rail that might provide some relief here)
asphalt is classified as a plastic, too.