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From page 283... ... 283 Appendix G Durability and Life-Cycle Implications of Repurposing Plastics Waste in Infrastructure: A Case Study Zhiye Li and Michael Lepech Stanford University MOTIVATION The increasing consumption of plastic products worldwide exacerbates global warming, energy resource depletion, landfill shortage, and environmental pollution. This paper aims to identify opportunities for repurposing plastics waste in infrastructure by studying the current status, challenges, and needs of recycling plastics in a circular economy and examining the long-term durability and environmental impacts on a life-cycle basis. Read the entire page →
From page 284... ... 284 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE applications of recycled plastic in civil infrastructure: buildings and asphalt pavements. Finally, it summarizes the definition and category of circular economy and discusses the role of repurposing plastics in various applications among the categories. Read the entire page →
From page 285... ... 285 FI G U R E G -2 P ro du ct io n, im po rt s, e xp or ts , u se , d is po sa l, an d le ak ag e of p la st ic s in t he U ni te d St at es in 2 01 7. Read the entire page →
From page 286... ... 286 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE deposit collection. Figure G-3 shows U.S. Read the entire page →
From page 287... ... APPENDIX G 287 1. Reclaimed plastic from other sources cannot be economically sorted to satisfy recycling facility requirements. Read the entire page →
From page 288... ... 288 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE in out-of-laboratory conditions at scale (Zabihi et al. Read the entire page →
From page 289... ... APPENDIX G 289 In summary, the challenges of recycling FRP composites are the following: (1) FRP has a complex and mixed material composition, (2) Read the entire page →
From page 290... ... 290 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE construction sectors, and their worldwide demand is increasing with global rates of urbanization. Buildings Emerging polymer-based composites, such as CFRE and GFRP, have rapidly gained outdoor application across aerospace, marine, and civil infrastructure applications and are gradually leading the way to establish a sustainable, green, and smart engineering system. Read the entire page →
From page 291... ... APPENDIX G 291 GFRP composites. Through the comparison and analysis of waste-based composites and pure materials, the performance of recycled material–based composites is weaker but comparable to the pure material–based composites (Li and Lepech 2023) Read the entire page →
From page 292... ... 292 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE RPP blended composite building elements and materials, and (iii) there is a significant need to study opportunities for improved end-of-life management (i.e., recycling) Read the entire page →
From page 293... ... APPENDIX G 293 al. Read the entire page →
From page 294... ... 294 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE Due to the potential of the wet method to increase the overall durability of pavement, many studies have recently investigated the effect of qualified waste plastics as a possible bitumen modification. Read the entire page →
From page 295... ... APPENDIX G 295 Despite the improved performance observed in laboratory experiments and the fact that a number of field projects using recycled polymer–modified asphalt mixtures have been constructed in the past few years, the long-term pavement performance data for many of these projects is not available. "Long-term data" does not mean the life span of the pavement only. Read the entire page →
From page 296... ... 296 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE Despite these promising conclusions, long-term data are still lacking, and further studies are needed. Rangelov et al. Read the entire page →
From page 297... ... APPENDIX G 297 and for as long as it is environmentally, technically, socially and economically feasible." The definition means that inappropriate and/or uncontrolled disposal practices should be excluded from the circular system (Jambeck et al. Read the entire page →
From page 298... ... 298 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE Recycling Waste Plastics in SFMOMA GFRP Facade Panels Goal and Scope Definition This case study conducts an environmental perspective analysis to examine the long-term durability and the environmental impact of mixing recycled plastic pellets with virgin polyester as the matrix of GFRP composite panels. The reference case is the GFRP architectural composite panel that is used in the Facade System of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) Read the entire page →
From page 299... ... APPENDIX G 299 SFMOMA is contoured comprising 700 completely unique forms to achieve the architect's aesthetic intent. As an attributional LCA, this study compares the existing fossil fuel– based GFRP facade panel to a GFRP facade panel that uses recycled plastic pellets over a 100-year life cycle. Read the entire page →
From page 300... ... 300 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE • Use RPP to substitute 0 wt.% of fossil fuel–based polymer (SFMOMA facade panel) Read the entire page →
From page 301... ... APPENDIX G 301 the facade panels do not stay in a corrosive environment. In highly corrosive environments and heavy mechanical loading cases such as marine and water applications, the life span of FRP in boats is 30–45 years (Frej et al. Read the entire page →
From page 302... ... 302 FI G U R E G -8 N or m al iz ed e nv ir on m en ta l i m pa ct s co re s as so ci at ed w it h th e us e of r ec yc le d pl as ti c pe lle ts ( R PP s) Read the entire page →
From page 303... ... APPENDIX G 303 FIGURE G-9 Environmental impact scores associated with the use of recycled plastic pellets (RPPs) in the GFRP composite panels at various contents (25%, 50%, and 75% of polymer matrix) Read the entire page →
From page 304... ... 304 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE less than one, which means this decision is environmentally preferable. For all categories, the case that uses the highest amount of RPP has the lowest impact (lowest score) Read the entire page →
From page 305... ... APPENDIX G 305 Recycling Waste Plastics in Asphalt Pavement Goal and Scope Definition This case study conducts an environmental perspective analysis to examine the long-term durability and the life cycle of converting waste plastics into recycled plastic pellets to be used as an additive (wet method) Read the entire page →
From page 306... ... 306 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE TABLE G-2 Characteristics of the Road Pavement Section "California-Dry No Freeze Urban Interstate-HMA-8,000 AADTT-Mr 9,500psi-LDPE0" in Which the Asphalt Surface Layer Is Made Using Asphalt Binder Produced with Different Additive Contents (i.e., 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) Roadway Information Project Type Roadway Pavement Types Flexible Pavement Project Life Span 50 years Project Location California Lane Length 1.609347 km Average Distance Plant to Site 31 km Average Distance Site to Stockpile 31 km Average Distance Equipment Depot to Site 31 km Number of Lanes in Both Directions 3 Number of Pavement Lifts 3 Number of Granular Layers 1 Material of Lift 1 (top) Read the entire page →
From page 307... ... APPENDIX G 307 The functional unit of the LCA study is 1 mile of roadway in use for 50 years. The road has three lanes. Read the entire page →
From page 308... ... 308 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE layer can be found in Table G-2. Since this case study focuses on the amount of RPPs used and the uncertainty of durability, preconstruction site preparation, road operating energy consumption in use phase, and excess fuel consumption due to pavement vehicle interaction (PVI) Read the entire page →
From page 309... ... APPENDIX G 309 tonne and gave LCA results for applying RPPs per tonne (in different cases such as RPP as 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 percent of asphalt binder by weight) Read the entire page →
From page 310... ... 310 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE Results and Discussion The normalized impact scores associated with the construction of the surface layer of a road pavement with the characteristics presented in Table G-2 are illustrated in Figure G-15b-f per impact category. All the results are normalized based on the result of road pavement using asphalt binder without additive and with no increment of the expected life span (Incl = 0 in Table G-4) Read the entire page →
From page 311... ... APPENDIX G 311 FIGURE G-14 Products usage for referenced case: 1 mile of road using no asphalt binder additives in 50 years. NOTE: First rehabilitation occurs 15 years after initial construction; expected life span of each rehabilitation is 13 years. Read the entire page →
From page 312... ... 312 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE FIGURE G-15 Environmental impact scores associated with the use of recycled plastic pellets (RPPs) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) Read the entire page →
From page 313... ... APPENDIX G 313 Additional Environmental Costs Resulting from Changes in Durability In general, a reduction in performance and durability may lead to additional costs such as longer construction time, unexpected material and time waste (e.g., Butte 162 Pilot Project case) , higher inspection and repair frequency, and a shorter life span. Read the entire page →
From page 314... ... 314 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE have investigated the performance of blending RPPs in architectural GFRP panels. In the future, sufficient experiments and modeling studies must be conducted to provide adequate data to support the feasibility of using RPPblended or RPP-based FRP composites in buildings. Read the entire page →
From page 315... ... APPENDIX G 315 There are three recommendations: (1) improve waste sorting, (2) Read the entire page →
From page 317... ... APPENDIX G 317 Enfrin, M., and Giustozzi, F Read the entire page →
From page 318... ... 318 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE Li, Z., Bosse, A W., and Lepech, M Read the entire page →
From page 319... ... APPENDIX G 319 Praticò, F G., Giunta, M., Mistretta, M., and Gulotta, T Read the entire page →
From page 320... ... 320 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Read the entire page →
From page 321... ... APPENDIX G 321 ANNEX G-1 Case Study: SFMOMA GFRP Facade Panel Comparison between "polyester resin, unsaturated RER market for polyester resin, unsaturated, APSO, U" and "recycled post-consumer PET pellet/ RNA" in SimaPro database. FIGURE G-17 Comparison of normalized environmental impact scores between 1 tonne unsaturated polyester and 1 recycled post-consumer PET pellet. Read the entire page →
From page 322... ... 322 RECYCLED PLASTICS IN INFRASTRUCTURE FIGURE G-18 SimaPro network model of GFRP panel using fossil fuel–based polymer in 100 years with expected life span of 60 years. Read the entire page →
From page 323... ... APPENDIX G 323 ANNEX G-2 Case Study: Asphalt Pavement TABLE G-6 Potential Environmental Impact Scores for Producing 1 Tonne of Recycled Plastic Pellets in Victoria, Australia Impact Category Value Unit Climate change 4.28E+02 kg CO2-eq Acidification 3.47E-02 kg SO2-eq Eutrophication 4.50E-02 kg N-eq Ozone layer depletion 1.59E-07 kg CFC11-eq Photochemical oxidation 1.92E-03 kg O3-eq NOTE: Data from recycling facilities in Victoria, Australia, were collected and used as the basis for a comparative life-cycle assessment study. SOURCE: Santos et al. Read the entire page →

From page 283...

... 283 Appendix G Durability and Life-Cycle Implications of Repurposing Plastics Waste in Infrastructure: A Case Study Zhiye Li and Michael Lepech Stanford University MOTIVATION The increasing consumption of plastic products worldwide exacerbates global warming, energy resource depletion, landfill shortage, and environmental pollution. This paper aims to identify opportunities for repurposing plastics waste in infrastructure by studying the current status, challenges, and needs of recycling plastics in a circular economy and examining the long-term durability and environmental impacts on a life-cycle basis.