Breakthrough Cement

In what can be termed as truly breakthrough,discarded plastic bottles in combination with soil has been used to form a porous cement like substance, which is being touted as the construction material of the future. Aptly named Plastisoil, the product will help ease ecological hazards caused by plastic. Roughly 30,000 of the better quality recyclable bottles are required to make one tonne of porous Plastisoil. The material could be used to form sidewalks, bike/jogging paths, driveways and parking lots. Interestingly, in case of traditional concrete and asphalt paving, rainwater stays on the surface and runs into storm sewers, accumulating oil and other filth. Since Plastisoil is pervious, water would seep straight into the soil below. According to preliminary results, it has been found that porous Plastisoil could be cheaper to manufacture than existing technologies and products. The product is the brain-wave of Naji Khoury, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Temple University, US.