VolkerWessels unveils plastic road concept

Dutch construction firm VolkerWessels has unveiled a new concept named PlasticRoad, and is looking for partners to further progress the idea.

The company noted that the project is still in the conceptual stage and it plans to materialise the idea in three years.

Comprising roads made of 100% recycled material, the PlasticRoad concept would significantly reduce construction and maintenance time, as well as the roads crafted from recycled plastic will extend their expected lifespan.

Compared with conventional roads, the lightweight design in the PlasticRoad concept will make the construction easier, with lesser time.

The company said in a release: "Plastic is much more sustainable and opens the door for a number of new innovations such as power generation, quiet road surfaces, heated roads and modular construction."

Rotterdam city council in the Netherlands is planning to pilot this PlasticRoad project, according to The Guardian.

Claimed to be unaffected by corrosion and weather, the PlasticRoad will be capable of withstanding temperatures between -40°C and 80°C.

In addition, the PlasticRoad design features a hollow space underneath the road, which provides room for cables, pipes and draining rainwater.

The road will also be able to accommodate equipment, such as, traffic loops sensors, measuring equipment and connections for light poles underneath the road surface.

Rotterdam city council engineering bureau member Jaap Peters was quoted by the The Guardian as saying that: "We’re very positive towards the developments around PlasticRoad.

"Rotterdam is a city that is open to experiments and innovative adaptations in practice. We have a ‘street lab’ available where innovations like this can be tested."

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Image: VolkerWessels’ PlasticRoad concept features a hollow space for cables, pipes and rainwater. Photo: courtesy of VolkerWessels.