Plastic Roads - Way More Efficient to Build, Maintain, and Recycle

A revolution in road building - Imagine that constructing a road would take days instead of months. That roads would last three times as long. That maintenance and traffic disruption are things of the past. And that cable and piping problems as well as the urban water problem are solved overnight. This may sound like a scenario in the distant future, but nothing could be further from the truth. KWS, a VolkerWessels company, Wavin and Total are working on the development of plastic roads, also known as the PlasticRoad. Every component of the PlasticRoad is being designed to make its application completely circular, with the goal of using recycled plastic as much as possible.

The PlasticRoad concept consists of a prefabricated, modular and hollow road structure made from (recycled) plastic. The prefabricated production, the light weight and the modular design of the PlasticRoad make construction and maintenance faster, simpler and more efficient compared to traditional road structures.

Hollow design

The PlasticRoad has a hollow space that can be used to (temporarily) store water, thus preventing flooding during extreme precipitation. The hollow space can also be used for the transit of cables and pipes, thus preventing excavation damages. And there are numerous other conceivable applications, including the installation of sensors or the electric charging of vehicles.

Sustainable

The PlasticRoad is a completely circular product that is made from recycled plastic. It has a significantly smaller carbon footprint than traditional road structures thanks to the longer lifespan and the reduction of transport movements involved in its construction.
Our long range objective is a PlasticRoad that is…

3x
LONGER

The expected lifetime of the PlasticRoad is two to three times as long as that of traditional road paving.

70%
FASTER

The expected construction time of a new road will be reduced by approximately 70%.

4x
LIGHTER

The PlasticRoad is four times as light as a traditional road structure.

recycle
100%
CIRCULAR

The PlasticRoad is 100% circular and is made from recycled plastic as much as possible.

Collaboration

KWS, a VolkerWessels company, Wavin and Total are working on the development of the plastic Road. Three companies, each contributing its own expertise and experience to the development of this innovative concept.

KWS is the market leader in road construction and the production of asphalt in the Netherlands. It knows the market well, which is becoming more demanding in terms of sound reduction, flooding, nuisance, longevity and sustainability. These requirements inspired the idea of the PlasticRoad. As a market leader in the recycling of plastic, Wavin is the perfect partner to introduce its knowledge and experience in the field to the project. Another added value of Wavin in this collaboration, is their specialisation in making plastic products for rainwater drainage. Total has extensive knowledge in the field of plastics as well. The company makes important contributions to the project with regards to improving the properties of plastics, the recycling of plastics and the available production techniques.

The consortium is currently working hard on the business case and is investigating the best way to produce the PlasticRoad. The development of a first prototype will start soon. Once the PlasticRoad meets all the technical, environmental and safety requirements, a pilot installation will be built to perform practical tests.

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