German chemical firm Evonik started to manufacture a process additive, Vestenamer, that transforms waste tires into a material suitable to be used in roads that would not be worn-out fast.

The innovative Vestenamer helps to mix bitumen with rubber powder which is received after tire recycling – this helps to increase the quality and life span of roads.

Recently, the original road surfacing mix with rubber powder and Vestenamer has been tested on a road track constructed in the German city of Paderborn. Around 80 scrap tires were recycled and transformed into the valuable product, which was used to improve each 100 meters of track.

According to Evonik, it is possible to get valuable products out of recycled tires, thus, it is not correct to treat tires as waste. The business also states that by providing old tires with second life in road projects, they get rid of disposal issue and prevent burning of tires.

Additionally, Evonik manufactures products for surfacing roads using mix of processed plastics. The tests and monitoring procedures will be ongoing, however, the authorities now believe that the plastic and rubber roads that contain recycled materials such as tires will prove to be more durable and better in comparison to the conventional asphalt, as the latter has a high CO2 footprint.

Article by New Civil Engineering.