DUTCH construction firm VolkerWessels has come up with a way to
recycle plastics and built better roads to boot.
The company has developed a modular PlasticRoad, which concept it
says is in line with developments such as Cradle to Cradle and The Ocean
Cleanup: the initiative to free the seas of ‘plastic soup’.
The PlasticRoad is still an idea on paper at the moment; the next
stage is to build it and test it in a laboratory to make sure it’s safe in wet
and slippery conditions and so on. We are looking for partners
who want to collaborate on a pilot – as well as manufacturers in the plastics industry.
who want to collaborate on a pilot – as well as manufacturers in the plastics industry.
While still at a concept stage, VolkerWessels is looking for cities
to help develop a prototype to test the road in real world applications.
The company said their PlasticRoad is “virtually maintenance free”,
as it is unaffected by corrosion and the weather.
The road structure handles temperatures as low as -40 degrees and
as high as 80 degrees Celsius with ease. It is also much more resistant to
chemical corrosion than tar.
Simon Jorritsma, advisor at InfraLinQ, said the PlasticRoad
is different from roads laid with a mix of tar and crumbed tyres, being more
durable. VolkerWessels estimations their plastic road will last three times
longer than normal roads, which means less road maintenance and the ensuing
traffic jams.
Because sections of the road could be prefabricated and installed
on sand in a single piece, the company claims construction time for roads would
be cut from months down to weeks. The material would also be lighter and allow
better control over factors like road stiffness and water drainage, while a
hollow space within could be used for all sorts of things.
The moulded casts can also integrate other elements like pizoid
generators to make power through impact of wheels, or conventional traffic
sensors, measuring equipment, and even heaters to melt snow in cold
countries.
