Over 450,000 tonnes of tyres reach their end-of-life every year in Australia. The use of rubber from these tyres as an elastomer modifier for bitumen represents a high value recycling opportunity for road construction. The addition of crumb rubber in bitumen improves the pavement rutting and fatigue resistance and offers oxidative ageing resistance. Especially local government roads can benefit from the improved oxidative ageing resistance since often the main mode of distress of local roads is related to oxidation of the binder.

The tech talk will give an overview of the Australian use of crumb rubber in road construction specifically in asphalt mixes, current projects and latest University research to support the use of this valuable resource and produce more durable roads. Due to the ban in Australia on the export of whole baled tyres or tyre pieces larger than 150 mm, effective since December 2021, the volume of tyres remaining in Australia will rise and, if not recovered, could increase the volume of EOL tyres disposed in landfills or stockpiled.

RMIT student ticket: complimentary up to 20 students