Rubberized Asphalt
There are over 60 million tires placed in scrap piles and landfills each year. In addition to becoming mosquito breeding grounds the rubber causes hot spots to form in landfills. This results in fires that pollute the air and require both manpower and water to control. When rubber from tires is mixed with tar and fine gravel, it becomes an ideal material for paving roads, called rubberized asphalt.
In a joint effort with the local chamber of commerce, a group of concerned citizens, and local businesses, UMass Dartmouth will soon use this innovative new asphalt. We are working with two regional rubber manufacturers, the Acushnet Company and Precix, in addition to Hudson Asphalt, to develop a paving mix that utilizes locally produced waste rubber. The rubberized asphalt will be used to pave one parking lot on campus where its durability will be documented and compared to existing asphalt. The advantages of using rubberized asphalt on campus are:
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We relieve the businesses of the significant costs associated with shipping and burning waste rubber;
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We give our researchers a new technology to study and a practical campus application for it;
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The campus is a showplace for a new technology that will benefit the region;
- We help to reduce air pollution and landfill space by keeping scrap tires from incineration.
Other studies have shown that, in contrast to traditional pavement, rubberized asphalt adds significantly to the life of pavement, has superior resistivity to freeze/thaw-cycle cracking, has improved acoustics, and has improved friction to help prevent skidding.
For more information contact Walaa Mogawer, Professor of Civil Engineering, UMass Dartmouth, and read the article "Paving the Way for Rubberized Asphalt."
Last Updated On: 11/25/05
