Influence of plastic aggregate geometry on strength properties of cement-stabilized macadam

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 15270 - 10
• Main Authors: Chi, Mingxiang, Shen, Zhenzong, Chen, Shibin, Yao, Yunshi, Shen, Jianjun, Li, Chao, Yan, Qingyao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 14-09-2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/166/986; 639/166/988; Cement; Compression; Geometry; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Plastic debris; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Splitting
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41453-2

In order to improve the toughness and flexibility of cement-stabilized macadam and inhibit crack formation and propagation, the influence of plastic aggregate geometry on the strength properties of cement-stabilized macadam is studied. The surface roughness of plastic aggregate was designed into Ra 12.5 and Ra 25. When the content of plastic coarse aggregate was gradually increased from 4 to 8%, 12%, 16%, 20%, and 24%, the compressive strength, splitting strength, and the tensile-compression ratio of the cement-stabilized macadam made of aggregate with rough surface texture were found higher than those of aggregate with smooth surface texture. The rough cylindrical, spherical, spindle, and dumbbell-shaped plastic coarse aggregates were designed and prepared for testing. The test results showed the maximum compressive strength, splitting strength, and tensile-compression ratio of cement-stabilized macadam with the dumbbell-shaped plastic coarse aggregate. The tensile-compression ratio increased by 15.2% compared to natural aggregate cement-stabilized macadam. The results show that under the same conditions, the plastic aggregate with different geometry can improve the compressive and splitting strengths of cement-stabilized macadam and significantly improve the toughness and flexibility, with dumbbell-shaped plastic coarse aggregate having the greatest improvement, especially compared with natural aggregate cement-stabilized crushed stone. This research provides insights for improving pavement engineering quality and new ideas for utilizing waste plastics.