WPB: Boral Limited (“Boral”) has introduced a groundbreaking crumbed rubber asphalt bitumen in Australia, pioneering the use of Off the Road (OTR) tyres—those utilized by heavy-duty industrial vehicles—instead of the conventional crumbed rubber. This innovative asphalt composition significantly enhances resistance to cracking and extends pavement durability, potentially doubling the lifespan of standard road treatments.
OTR tyres are specifically engineered to endure extreme conditions and bear the weight of massive machinery employed across multiple industries, including mining, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and aviation. These tyres vary in size, ranging from under 20 cm for forklift tyres to nearly two meters for mining dump trucks.
Boral’s high-binder crumbed rubber asphalt surfacing integrates end-of-life OTR tyres, sourced from quarry haul dump trucks and front-end loaders operating at Boral facilities. The presence of crumbed rubber in asphalt helps slow pavement degradation by counteracting oxidation—a primary cause of road deterioration due to UV exposure. With each OTR tyre, around two-thirds of its material is repurposed for Boral’s asphalt mix, translating to roughly 400 kilograms of recovered rubber per tyre.
The introduction of this new product follows Boral’s collaboration with the Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA) and Tyre Stewardship Australia on a research project aimed at optimizing asphalt mixes derived from OTR tyres. This initiative sought to create more durable and environmentally sustainable roads. Subsequently, Boral partnered with Sunshine Coast Council to conduct a trial across three different locations—Railway Parade in Glass House Mountains, Spalls Road in Diddillibah, and Perlan Street in Nambour—evaluating its performance under various traffic conditions.
In total, Boral laid 7,000 square meters of local road surfaces, incorporating 10,000 kilograms of OTR-based crumbed rubber. The project utilized the equivalent of 25 large earthmover tyres, marking the first documented application of OTR-derived rubber in Australian asphalt surfacing.
This innovative road material enhances road resilience and performance while delivering economic benefits to both customers and road users. Over the road’s lifespan, the need for maintenance, such as crack sealing and patchwork, is significantly reduced, lowering both costs and disruptions for communities. Additionally, the product supports broader sustainability efforts, cutting emissions and promoting responsible waste management.
Richard Pearson, Boral’s Executive General Manager of Asphalt, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainable innovation, stating:
“We take pride in leading the way in construction material advancements with our high-binder crumbed rubber asphalt, developed from Off the Road tyres. Sustainability and fostering a circular economy are core to Boral’s mission.”
He further highlighted the collaborative effort with Sunshine Coast Council, AfPA, and Tyre Stewardship Australia in developing a solution that enhances environmental benefits while repurposing tyres that would otherwise end up in landfills. Pearson noted that Boral’s operations will also see reduced emissions from asphalt production, thanks to the reuse of OTR and truck tyres sourced from its own sites.
“We anticipate continued advancements in the construction and infrastructure sector. We encourage councils and all levels of government to integrate recycled materials into their projects, including crumbed rubber asphalt, to drive sustainable progress.”
By Bitumenmag
Asphalt, Bitumen, Road
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