Boral has launched an Australian-first proprietary crumbed rubber asphalt bitumen derived from Off the Road (OTR) tyres, claiming the new product can extend pavement life up to twice that of conventional road treatments
The treatment of OTR tyres is an issue that Tyre Stewardship Australia has highlighted in the past. The mines across Australia have huge stockpiles of these tyres , which are a logistical challenge to recycle.
Boral has developed the asphalt using ELT from front-end loaders and quarry haul dump trucks from its own sites.
According to Boral, the high-binder crumbed rubber asphalt surfacing has superior cracking resistance due to anti-oxidation properties that combat UV damage – the primary failure mode of residential roads. Approximately two-thirds of an OTR tyre is recovered for the mix, equating to about 400 kilograms per tyre.
The product follows Boral’s involvement in an Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA) project with Tyre Stewardship Australia that aimed to find the optimum OTR-derived asphalt mix for more sustainable roads.
Demonstrations were held across three sites, paving 7,000 square metres of local roads using 10,000 kilograms of OTR-derived crumbed rubber from vehicles at Boral’s West Burleigh Quarry. The company reported that the equivalent of 25 large earthmover tyres were diverted from landfill for the project.
“Finding ways to be more sustainable and drive a more circular economy is central to what we do at Boral,” said Richard Pearson, Executive General Manager Asphalt at Boral.
“We welcome more councils and all levels of government to embed recycled materials into their projects, including the use of crumbed rubber asphalt roads,” Pearson added.
Tyre and Rubber Recycling
- 15 Blackthorn Close,
