Skip to main content

Rubber tyre re-use

Re-using crumb rubber in asphalt offers numerous benefits – Mike Woof In the US, the use of crumb rubber from old car and truck tyres in asphalt mixes has been tried over a number of years. The technology has improved considerably too, with this approach now offering much longer lasting performance. Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is one of the latest states to adopt this approach and has amended its road construction specifications to include recycled tyre rubber as an alternative to conventi
June 18, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
RSS

Re-using crumb rubber in asphalt offers numerous benefits – Mike Woof.

In the US, the use of crumb rubber from old car and truck tyres in asphalt mixes has been tried over a number of years. The technology has improved considerably too, with this approach now offering much longer lasting performance.

3328 Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is one of the latest states to adopt this approach and has amended its road construction specifications to include recycled tyre rubber as an alternative to conventional oil-based polymers for road asphalt production. Recycled tyre rubber is now being used for paving in the state, which will save money by reducing dependence on oil and will help reduce waste by recycling millions of scrap tyres annually.

Tyres are manufactured in large quantities and offer high durability, so reclaiming the rubber for asphalt roads, will provide a second use for that durability and also deal with what would otherwise be problematic waste material. Sourcing tyre rubber from within the state is offering the state environmental benefits and is also providing additional jobs. While oil-based polymers are transported from other states and countries, recycled rubber can be sourced internally.

The initiative to change Georgia's road material specifications to include recycled tyre rubber came from a need to deal with the scrap tyre problem. Expertise in using this material was provided to the authorities in Georgia by Liberty Tyre Recycling, Lehigh Technologies, and Blacklidge Emulsions. Using new test data from national organisations, GDOT was then able to accelerate its approval of the process.

High-performance, rubberised asphalt allows the use of thinner layers that reduce paving costs, as well as replacing more expensive oil-based polymers. Rubberised asphalt also requires less maintenance over the life of the road and boosts safety, by allowing water to drain away from the roadway, reducing splash and spray. Another advantage is that rubberised asphalt cuts road noise.

Liberty Tire Recycling has also worked with state officials and community partners in recent years to clean up thousands of tyres spread across illegal tyre dumps throughout the state. This offers major environmental and public safety benefits as illegal tyre dumping is a major problem in Georgia. Some US$700,000 has been allocated in next year's budget just for clean-up work but if just 10% of the state’s road projects are constructed with recycled tyre rubber, all of the old vehicle tyres will be reclaimed and recycled. Liberty Tyre Recycling is the main provider of tyre recycling services in North America, re-using over 140 million tyres/year. The recycled rubber is used as crumb rubber as well as industrial feedstock for molded products.

RSS

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • G&Z launching new concrete placer
    March 3, 2015
    New material placer being introduced by G&Z – Mike Woof writes. Guntert & Zimmerman is now lifting the wraps from its new MP550 material placer, having announced last year that design work was underway. This machine is designed to boost throughput and overall productivity on site, while being versatile, easy to maintain and service and offering low running costs. According to the firm, the MP550 is the most versatile material placer on the market as it can handle a wide variety of concrete slumps as well as
  • Without political intervention, new technologies for using waste rubber in roads will not take off
    November 14, 2017
    New technologies to make rubber modification of asphalt are under development and testing. But political will is the real key to diverting old tyres from landfill - Kristina Smith reports. A new way to introduce end-of-life tyre rubber into asphalt mixes could be the key to diverting more tyres away from landfill, according to Dr Davide Lo Presti, principal research fellow at the Nottingham Transportation Engineering Centre (NTEC) at the University of Nottingham.
  • Australian firm uses recycled feed material for asphalt
    August 14, 2015
    Innovations in asphalt plant technology will help boost the use of recycled asphalt. Mike Woof writes. An Ammann asphalt plant located in Australia has been successful in using a high percentage of recycled feed materials. The Australian producer Downer recently created and laid an asphalt mix consisting of 99% recycled materials, including feed from somewhat unusual sources. The feed included toner from printer cartridges, tyres and glass and this is thought to be the first time a mix has been produced usi
  • Cost effective road maintenance
    February 8, 2012
    Highway maintenance and repair is an easy target for cuts in highway budgets, but there are cost-effective measures that can be adopted as Patrick Smith reports. Road maintenance is an increasingly important industry that spans a worldwide market. Awareness of the need for a stable and sustainable international infrastructure, maintenance and creative rural road technologies are taking a stronger role as viable sources for a cost-effective means of preserving, developing and prolonging the life of roads wit