Researchers at Charles Darwin University in Australia have announced that the use of recycled tires and plastics can increase the efficiency of conventional asphalt while reducing costs and environmental impacts.
In Australia’s Northern Territory, millions of used tires are piled up; So that nearly half of them are left in landfills and the remaining part is sent to other states for recycling. Now, a research group at Charles Darwin University has turned these wastes into more resistant and sustainable materials for road construction.
In this research, asphalt and bitumen modified with shredded tires of trucks and passenger cars, along with recycled plastics, were tested to measure their performance with the specific climatic conditions of this region.
This study examined the quality of these materials under conditions such as extreme heat, ultraviolet radiation and other common environmental stresses in the northern territory.
Ramin Shahbazi, PhD researcher and lead author of the study, explained that roads designed for cooler climates typically do not survive the extreme conditions of the Northern Territory.
He stated that the high heat of this area causes different chemical reactions in the pavement layers and this causes the road surface to become harder or more fragile and eventually destroy it.
By adding recycled rubber and plastic to asphalt, researchers aim to reproduce or even exceed the performance of traditional paving materials. The use of these materials can also reduce construction costs, as there is no need to use expensive polymers to withstand traffic and local weather conditions.
Shahbazi adds that the use of very expensive polymers only to withstand the traffic and weather conditions of this region is actually a kind of increase in environmental cost in addition to the cost of the entire infrastructure.
In this project, the long-term durability of bitumen modified with crushed rubber (CRMB) and bitumen modified with recycled plastic (RPMB) was investigated. CRMB bitumen showed high resistance to oxidative, thermal and ultraviolet aging; In a way that made the asphalt more durable in harsh climatic conditions.
On the other hand, the efficiency of RPMB varies depending on the type of polymer, consumption amount and environmental conditions, and will require additional research to obtain reliable results.
Examining damage caused by humidity is another part of this research. CRMB bitumen can increase adhesion between aggregates due to chemical interactions, although undissolved rubber particles may reduce performance.
Asphalt containing recycled plastic shows acceptable moisture resistance, but researchers are still studying the effect of plastic properties, such as melting point and chemical structure, on the final composition.
Shahbazi hopes that this research can lead to the standardization of the use of recycled materials in infrastructure and also encourage investment in recycling facilities in the Northern Territory.
Tire Stewardship Australia’s annual report for 2023-2024 shows that around 500,000 tonnes of tires reach the end of their life each year across Australia. Converting this volume of waste to road construction materials can reduce environmental impacts and at the same time create low-cost and climate-resistant infrastructure.
The initiative is a collaboration between Charles Darwin University and the Department of Logistics and Northern Infrastructure, and aims to build sustainable and durable roads in one of Australia’s most challenging regions.
The results of this study have been published in Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering.
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