Technical, Economic, and Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Reclaimed Asphalt and Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate Pavements

Zeerak Waryam Sajid, Arshad Hussian (), Muhammad Umer Amin Khan, Fahad K. Alqahtani () and Fahim Ullah
Additional contact information
Zeerak Waryam Sajid: NUST Institute of Civil Engineering (NICE), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Arshad Hussian: NUST Institute of Civil Engineering (NICE), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Muhammad Umer Amin Khan: NUST Institute of Civil Engineering (NICE), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Fahad K. Alqahtani: Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Fahim Ullah: School of Surveying and Built Environment, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD 4300, Australia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-31

Abstract: In the era of the global drive for sustainability in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), sustainability measures are encouraged to be taken at all levels. This study explores a novel mix design integrating Reclaimed Asphalt (RAP) with waste Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) to enhance pavement performance and sustainability. It adopts a holistic approach by investigating the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of the proposed mix to assess its sustainability. Industry experts emphasize the necessity of mitigating the resource intensiveness of pavement construction to foster sustainable infrastructure. RAP enables resource-efficient pavement construction by promoting asphalt recycling. However, increasing RAP quantity in the mix compromises asphalt structural stability, making it more susceptible to moisture damage and rutting. In this study, PET-modified Bitumen (PMB) is incorporated in higher RAP quantities in the asphaltic mix without compromising asphalt’s structural performance and durability. Various PMB amounts (2% to 10% by mass of mixture) were tested with 40% RAP (by mass of mixture), evaluating performance in terms of moisture damage, Marshall stability, rutting, etc. Optimal results were achieved with 6% PET and 40% RAP, showing a 7%, 57%, and 23% improvement in moisture resistance, rutting resistance, and Marshall stability, respectively, compared to unmodified asphalt (technical aspects). The novel asphalt mix demonstrated a 17% reduction in material cost (economic aspect) and a 53% decrease in CO 2 emissions (environmental aspect) using Building Information Modeling (BIM). This study devises a prospective solution for the construction of resilient, resource-efficient, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable pavements in line with UN SDGs and circular economy goals.

Keywords: asphalt additives; circular economy; green pavements; polyethylene terephthalate (PET); reclaimed asphalt; sustainability assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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