Rahul SomvanshiRecycled car tyres can be turned into a road surface material. The process is called rubberised asphalt, and it uses crumb rubber, which is ground tyre rubber, mixed with bitumen. Here is how it works, and what the technical standards cover.
Crumb rubber is made by shredding or grinding used tyres into small grains. It can be mixed with bitumen, the black binder in asphalt, to make rubberised asphalt. Tyre Stewardship Australia publishes technical specifications for crumb rubber in roads, which set out how the material is used.
Rubberised asphalt is one way to reuse tyres in road projects. The specifications set how much crumb rubber can be used and how it should be mixed. Road projects follow those specifications when they use the material.
How crumb rubber works in roads
Crumb rubber is tyre rubber ground into small grains. It works like the rubber in a bike tyre. It is flexible, so it bends under load rather than snapping. Mixed into bitumen, it is designed to help the road flex under traffic.
What is rubberised asphalt made from? Recycled car tyres are shredded into crumb rubber and blended with bitumen. The result is designed to be more flexible than standard asphalt. Its performance depends on the mix and how it is installed.
Waste tyres and road repairs are two separate problems that the material can help with. Recycling tyres into roads keeps the rubber out of landfill, and rubberised asphalt is one option for doing that. Local councils and state road authorities decide whether to use it.
For more, read our explainer on how roads are built and repaired and our guide to recycling car tyres in Australia.
Crumb rubber is an established material in road construction, and technical specifications exist for its use. Local councils and state authorities decide where it is used.
