Tire Bales in Highway Applications: Feasibility and Properties Evaluation

There are growing interests in the utilization of recycled tire bales for civil engineering applications, triggered partly by the significant volumes of tires that could be disposed of in transportation projects. However, evaluation of tire bale properties and performance of tire bale embankments is, at least, limited. This report summarizes the benefits and shortcomings of using tire bales in civil engineering projects, as well as information collected to date on their mechanical properties. The report includes the results of eight laboratory tests on typical tire bales (most of which had never been performed prior to this study) to provide critical information on tire bale geometry, both air dry and submerged unit weights, permeability, unconfined and confined compressibility characteristics including horizontal deformations, rebound and potential expansion pressures, creep behavior, and external shear strength between two tire bales. An economic analysis comparing the estimated cost of tire bales to conventional fills is presented, supported by information on Colorado Department of Transportation costs for earth embankments. Finally, detailed recommendations for utilization and implementation of tire bales as a lightweight fill in embankments are presented.

• Record URL:
  https://codot.gov/programs/research/pdfs/2005/tirebales.pdf/
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/16189
• Corporate Authors:

  Colorado Department of Transportation

  4201 E Arkansas Avenue
  Denver, CO  United States  80222

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Zornberg, Jorge G
  • Christopher, Barry R
  • Oosterbaan, Marvin D
• Publication Date: 2005-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 114p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefits; Costs; Economic analysis; Embankments; Feasibility analysis; Fills; Implementation; Laboratory tests; Mechanical properties; Performance; Properties of materials; Recommendations; Recycled materials; Utilization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Scrap tires
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Research; I33: Other Materials used in Pavement Layers;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01001269
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: CDOT-DTD-R-2005-2
• Contract Numbers: 80.14
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 23 2005 12:04PM