Australian-first asphalt bitumen surfacing from Boral
Boral launch crumbed-rubber asphalt bitumen surfacing derived from heavy-duty OTR tyres
BORAL Ltd have launched an Australian-first proprietary crumbed-rubber asphalt bitumen that replaces common crumbed rubber with that from off-the-road (OTR) tyres used by heavy-duty industrial vehicles. According to the company, the alternative asphalt mix has a higher cracking resistance and extends the life of pavements by up to two times that of conventional road treatment.
The high-binder crumbed-rubber asphalt surfacing uses end-of-life OTR tyres sourced from wheel loaders and dumptrucks from Boral’s quarry sites. Crumbed rubber in asphalt can prolong the life of pavements due to its anti-oxidation properties; oxidation from UV is the primary failure mode of residential roads. Approximately two-thirds of an OTR tyre is recovered for Boral’s crumbed-rubber mix, equating to approximately 400kg per tyre.
The new product comes six months after Boral’s involvement in an Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA)-funded project with Tyre Stewardship Australia, which aimed to find the optimum OTR-derived asphalt mix to create more sustainable and resilient roads. Boral then partnered with Sunshine Coast Council to conduct road demonstrations across three sites – Railway Parade in Glass House Mountains, Spalls Road in Diddillibah, and Perlan Street in Nambour – to measure against different traffic conditions.
Boral paved 7,000m2 of local roads using 10,000kg of OTR-derived crumbed rubber sourced from vehicles from Boral’s West Burleigh Quarry. The equivalent of 25 large earthmover tyres were used in the demonstrations, which marked the first-known use in Australia of OTR tyres in an asphalt mix.
Boral say their OTR-derived crumbed-rubber asphalt provides increased road performance and longevity, benefiting customers and road users alike. There is said to be a significant reduction in maintenance such as crack sealing and patching during the lifecycle of the road, which minimizes cost and disruption to the community. The product also provides broader sustainability and emission-reduction benefits.
Richard Pearson, executive general manager of asphalt at Boral, said: ‘We are pleased to be leaders in construction material innovation and to bring to market our high-binder crumb-rubber asphalt surfacing derived from OTR tyres. Finding ways to be more sustainable and drive a more circular economy is central to what we do at Boral.
‘Our successful engagement with Sunshine Coast Council and AfPA and Tyre Stewardship Australia led to the creation of this new product that will provide increased circularity benefits to the community – diverting tyres away from landfill and into new recycled products. Our operations will also benefit from reduced emissions from asphalt manufacturing, and the reuse of end-of-life OTR and truck tyres from Boral sites.
‘We look forward to seeing the building and construction industry continue to innovate, and we welcome more councils and all levels of government to embed recycled materials into their projects, including the use of crumbed-rubber asphalt roads.’
