AWARD YEAR
2017
CATEGORY
Community
GOALS
Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
KEYWORDS
Plastic, upcycling, infrastructure
COUNTRY
Netherlands
DESIGNED BY
KWS, VolkerWessels
WEBSITE
https://en.volkerwessels.com/en/projects/detail/plasticroad
PlasticRoad
consists of 100% recycled material, is the ideal sustainable alternative to today's road structures
PlasticRoad features numerous advantages compared to conventional roads, both in terms of construction and maintenance. 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. Additionally, the PlasticRoad design features a 'hollow' space that can be used for cables, pipes and rainwater. PlasticRoad is a virtually maintenance free product. It is unaffected by corrosion and the weather. The road structure handles temperatures as low as -40 degrees and as high as 80 degrees Celsius with ease. It is also much more resistant to chemical corrosion. Estimations predict that the lifespan of roads will be tripled. That means less road maintenance and less to no traffic jams and detours. Recycled plastic is made into prefabricated road parts that can be installed in one piece.