Sustainable Use of Recycled Plastic in Embankment Construction: Implications for Hydraulic Performance and Construction Material Supply Chains

Abstract

The present study is concerned with the construction of hydraulic dams and seeks to give an in-depth account of how leaks can be controlled. The impact of leaks in dams is directly proportional to the amount of water entering them. This implies that whenever leaks are beyond a certain level, it affects the stability of hydraulic dams. It was therefore crucial to find ways of mitigating this negative impact. The ways in which this can be achieved include improving the geotechnical properties of the fill material. To do this, our research sought to include recycled polypropylene sheets. For this purpose, different sizes of PP plastic flakes were used and mixed with silty sand. The effects of these flakes on various parameters of hydraulic dams, such as seepage velocity, permeability, critical head, and piping resistance, were studied. Constant head tests and piping tests were conducted. The best combination of PP and silty sand was then used in constructing small-scale embankment dam models with and without horizontal drains. In our study on hydraulically operated dams, we conducted an evaluation of their performance in relation to the incorporation of property-enhancing materials. In our evaluation using 2% recycled polypropylene film, 10 x 10 cm in dimension, it was evident that there was a reduction in the permeability of the silted sand. This reduction in permeability was highly favorable because it led to an increase of 38% in the conservation properties of the silt sand. This effect of the incorporation of recycled plastic films in hydraulically operated dams did not only have a positive effect on the properties of the silt sand; it also had a positive effect on the groundwater level and erosion resistance. In a bid to validate our positive results and to provide them with a practical example, we used SEEP/W software in our study. This study had a significant impact in two key areas: environmental conservation through recycling of plastics and promotion of environmental-friendly approaches in hydraulically operated dams.