Tyre Stewardship Australia has provided funds to the University of South Australia to conduct research and testing of advanced formula of Crumbed Rubber Concrete (CRC) intended to be used in residential building projects.

CRC relies on crumb rubber that is used as partial replacement material to sand in mixtures. Present studies have shown that CRC had absolutely identical performance as traditional concrete in residential construction, and no visual flaws were reported after 3 months. Thus, the component is seen as a decent substitute to concrete. Moreover, the researchers claim that the use of crumb rubber helps the process to be more cost-efficient. Some experts forecast that CRC will become a commercial success due to its properties such as durability and good acoustic insulation.

Currently, Australia uses some 40% of over 9 million cubic meters of pre-mixed concrete for similar projects each year. And the country generates over 50 million of waste tires, thus, this initiative could promote consumption of recycled rubber.

Press release by TSA.