Thailand’s Department of Rural Roads is planning to use a revolutionary asphalt grade for repairs to the road connecting Muang District with Nakhon Ratchasima Airport. Recycled plastic waste will be used in the asphalt mix for the 3km road stretch. Work on the section of Highway No 3140 will commence in the third quarter of 2024 and continue until the third quarter of 2025.
This is the first time the use of plastic waste in an asphalt mix will have been trialled in Thailand and its use on a busy stretch of road handling high traffic volumes is highly innovative. Similar trials have been carried out in some European countries as well as in Australia, India and South Africa, although these are ongoing and subject to testing to see whether the material will perform as well as expected over time.
Using plastic waste to repair roads could provide a useful source of materials and potentially help to reduce the carbon footprint of road construction. This could potentially find a suitable use for plastic waste that might otherwise have to be sent to landfill, with up to 5tonnes of the material being utilised for every kilometre of road built.
