Recycled road surfaces
We've now trialled a new lower carbon solution for resurfacing roads in Wheldrake, with a view to roll out across further projects in the city. The solution incorporates a ‘crumb’ of recycled rubber tyres and is able to be applied at a lower temperature, thus reducing carbon emissions in comparison to standard materials.
Around 40 million waste tyres are generated every year in the UK. Rubber modified asphalt can incorporate about 500 tyres per kilometre of road (depending on layer thickness). The materials properties can also create a quieter road surface and one that causes less wear on the tyres of the vehicles that pass over it. In addition, the recycled rubber can prevent water from getting into the surface of the road, reducing damage from freezing road temperatures such as potholes.
This material, is one of a number of proposed innovations for future road resurfacing across the city as part of an alignment between the council’s Highways Services and the city’s Carbon Reduction Strategy.
As per the Highways annual programme, we also plan to trial other new materials such as recycled plastic, steel slag (a by-product of the steel making process) and in situ recycling which incorporates using existing carriageway materials.