Search Results

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), in partnership with the University of Missouri and The Ray, a nonprofit proving ground for sustainable transportation technologies, published this July a state of knowledge report that assessed existing research on the economic, performance and environmental benefits of using ground tire rubber (GTR) in asphalt. The report finds that rubber modified asphalt is a resilient pavement solution to rebuild America’s roadways and a promising sustainable and circular end-of-life market for scrap tires. The report also provides recommendations for additional research to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the technology’s impact.

Every year almost 300 million scrap tires are generated in the United States. One of the most beneficial uses involves producing Ground Tire Rubber (GTR) from scrap tires and using the GTR to create Rubber-Modified Asphalt (RMA). RMA has been used in the U.S. since the 1960s, but extensive market adoption is yet to occur, although use of rubber modified asphalt has increased approximately 50% since 2017. Depending on the application, one lane mile can use up to 2,000 scrap tires. On December 8 from 1 - 4 pm ET, join the Northeast Recycling Council, the Northeast Waste Management Officials Association and the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association as they host a webinar to discuss performance, economic and environmental benefits of using rubber modified asphalt. This workshop will:

Recently, officials with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management showed off newly resurfaced roads and parking areas at Lake Guntersville State Park paved with rubberized asphalt made with materials from end-of-life tires.

Southampton City Council, and highways partner Balfour Beatty Living Places, are pioneering the use of Rubber Modified Asphalt to reduce the environmental impact of highways maintenance activities. Southampton City Council recently approved an additional £10m investment to resurface residential roads and pavements across the city – boosting investment to a record £22 million over the next two years. As part of this program the council and its highways partner, Balfour Beatty Living Places, is pioneering a new method for resurfacing which puts waste rubber that would have otherwise ended up in landfill to good use.

Ecopneus – Italy’s end-of-life tire management authority responsible for tire collection and recycling – reports that the use of crumb rubber modified asphalt is growing in the country. In 2020, Italy used 63% more end-of-life tires to pave its roads. Speaking about benefits of rubberized asphalt, Ecopneus says it resists potholes, lasts 3 times longer than traditional asphalt, reduces noise and maintenance costs and helps utilize valuable commodity – tire-derived crumb rubber – that otherwise would often end up in landfills.

Tarmac – one of the leading and pioneering firms working with the rubberized asphalt in the United Kingdom – has become the first company in the UK to secure recognized industry approval for its innovative rubber modified asphalt incorporating recycled end of life car tires for use on the strategic road network. Following a series of successful trials over a number of years, the leading sustainable construction solutions company’s ULTIPAVE R, is the first thin surfacing system of its kind to receive BBA HAPAS Clause 942 approval.

Tyre Stewardship Australia – the renowned for its success end-of-life tyre recycling authority in Australia – launched a demonstration project aimed at increasing the use of recycled crumb rubber on local roads across Tasmania is helping pave the way to a more sustainable future. The authority reports that more than 1240 end-of-life truck tyres will be diverted from landfill and mixed with the equivalent of 40,000 recycled glass bottles to produce crumb rubber asphalt in the ground-breaking project – a first for Tasmania – in a partnership between local road specialist Fulton Hogan and Tyre Stewardship Australia.

Rubber Modified Asphalt (RMA) made from recycled tire rubber powder, a product of Lehigh Technologies, a Michelin North America subsidiary, is now being utilized to resurface a 6.3-mile section of the Lawrenceville Highway in Georgia, United States. Currently, there are two different methods for modifying liquid bitumen for road resurfacing: the first uses synthetic polymers derived from oil, and the second is RMA. The company's proprietary component Rheopave and micronized MicroDyne rubber powder are used to create RMA, which is marketed as a high-performance material.

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and the Ray and University of Missouri welcome all interested parties to a webinar to discuss the findings from a joint research project on the performance, environmental impacts and benefits of rubber modified asphalt and its growing potential to enhance the life and performance of U.S. infrastructure. The webinar will be held at 11 am Eastern Time on July 22, 2021 Register to learn more about the benefits of using ground rubber made from scrap tires in asphalt and the further research needed on this promising solution for roads and highways across the country.