Page 30 - Plastics News July 2018

FeAtures

What is Micro surfacing

icrosurfacing is a protective seal coat which * Because of its quick-setting homes, it may be
Mextends the life of pavement. It is a thin, carried out in a large range of temperature
tough layer of asphalt emulsion blended with and weather prerequisites.
finely crushed stone for traction. This is a cost-
effective method to renew the road surface * It is particularly appropriate for evening
applications on heavy visitors streets,
and seal minor cracks and other irregularities.
surfacing . highways, and airfields.
* Applied at ambient temperatures, micro-
Microsurfacing is similar to slurry seal. It consists surfacing has low-energy requirements.
of the application of a mixture of water, asphalt
emulsion, aggregate (very small crushed * It is environmentally protected, emitting no
rock), and chemical additives to an existing pollution.
asphalt concrete pavement surface. Polymer * It sets briefly. Roads can also be reopened in
is commonly added to the asphalt emulsion to about an hour.
provide better mixture properties.
* In applications as thin as three/eight inch
Advantages of micro-surfacing (nine.5mm), micro-surfacing can increase

* Micro-surfacing supplies a clean, black, colour contrast, surface restoration, and
sturdy surface. It is a handy guide a rough, repair existence to high-speed roadways.
economical surface remedy for asphalt. * It has a lifespan of 3 to five years.

stretch of road, the amount of waste plastic strewn around be used in the process. One of the foremost advantages
will definitely reduce. of plastone is its non-porous nature and the ability to
prevent water penetration.
The technology for this was developed by the ‘Plastic
Man’ of India, Prof Rajagopalan Vasudevan, Professor of Government Policy
Chemistry at Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai. In November 2015, the Centre mandated use of plastic
Prof R Vasudevan’s inclination to keep experimenting led along with bituminous mixes for road construction.
to another innovation. He decided to try creating a stone Henceforth, the public works department will get plastic
block with plastic coating and, in 2012, ‘plastone’ took waste, recycle it and use it for roads. Other senior PWD
birth. A plastone block is made from a mixture of waste officials said the department, as a pilot project, had
plastic and stone. It has been found to withstand more started use of plastic in tar on certain stretches of roads
pressure and it resists water percolation. In the professor’s in the state in February 2016.
department of chemistry they have made plastone blocks
using granite and ceramic waste, along with plastic waste. The PWD will use the non-biodegradable material for
Each plastone block consumes 300 plastic carry bags and repairs too. “Plastic roads will be inspected every three
around six PET bottles. months, and a report will be submitted to the state
government about them once a year,” the GR read. Plastic
Prof Vasudevan says that almost 10% of solid waste is added to a hot mix of asphalt, commonly known as
consists of used materials that can be broken into pieces tar, and other material. Compared to roads built with
and used in the making of plastone. Industrial slug can also

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