Graduation Semester and Year
Spring 2026
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering
Department
Civil Engineering
First Advisor
Dr. MD Sahadat Hossain
Second Advisor
Dr. Xinbao Yu
Third Advisor
Dr. Warda Ashraf
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Muhammad N Huda
Abstract
The increasing demand for sustainable and resilient pavement infrastructure has driven interest in using recycled plastic waste in road construction. Incorporating waste plastics in asphalt layers and aggregate base courses reduces landfill burden while conserving conventional materials such as bitumen and aggregates, offering a practical solution for countries like Bangladesh. This study evaluates plastic-modified asphalt pavements through laboratory mix design, plant production, full-scale implementation, and long-term monitoring in Dhaka and Cumilla. Using the dry process, 8% HDPE (Dhaka) and 8% LDPE with 0.5% PP (Cumilla) were used in asphalt mixtures. Marshall results showed stability improvements of 25% and 40%, respectively, while maintaining acceptable flow and air voids. Additionally, 5% HDPE was incorporated in aggregate base layers. Asphalt core density results indicated stable compaction in Dhaka (93-98%), while Cumilla showed variability due to construction quality. Aggregate base compaction remained satisfactory (≥95%). After three years, LWD results demonstrated slower stiffness reduction in plastic-modified sections, while conventional sections showed greater reductions. IRI values increased to 29% in conventional pavements whereas in plastic modified sections showed decrease of 3-11% indicating better ride quality. Microplastic analysis indicated low environmental risk (RCR ≤ 1), with particles primarily originating from tire wear. Overall, plastic-modified pavements proved to be a viable and sustainable solution.
Keywords
Plastic road, Waste plastic, Field implementation, Construction, Pavement, Distress detection, Monitoring, Plant production, Sustainable infrastructure, Microplastic Risk Assessment
Disciplines
Civil Engineering
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Aziz, S M Ashik Al, "IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF PLASTIC ROAD IN BANGLADESH" (2026). Civil Engineering Dissertations. 2.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/civilengineering_dissertations2/2