Impact of waste plastic on the bearing capacity of pavement structures

Soil stabilization is quite fundamental for the long term performance of pavement structures laid on any type of soil which happens to be weak i.e. clayey soils, silty soils, sandy soils etc. Several methods have been devised to improve the strength of the soil such as through the use of fly ash, bottom ash, lime, cement etc. and with the development of new equipment and materials, techniques such as soil stabilization using waste plastic bottle strips made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET/PETE) among others have become a more practical solution (Caterpillar, 2006) and that will be the main focus of discussion. Soil stabilization is known to many as the alteration of one or more soil characteristics to enhance the engineering properties and execution of soil (Industrial Resources Council, 2008).