On the right track with recycled tyres

Italian firm TRS Tyres Recycling Sud has installed recycled asphalt at its plant in Balvano in an end-of-life tyres initiative with non-profit Ecopneus and start-up Rub-Lab.

The freshly laid road was made from an innovative powder derived from recycled rubber tyres which the partners say improves the compatibility with bitumen, ‘guaranteeing superior performance’. The solution has already been successfully tested during the construction of sections of municipal roads in Alcamo and Castelvetrano in the province of Trapani.

Use of the recycled powder does not require any changes to the asphalt plants or specific machinery for paving and compacting.

Benefits of the recycled rubber asphalt include:

• environmental sustainability
• excellent resistance from traffic wear and tear
• durability (lasting three times as long as traditional asphalt)
• noise reduction

The development combines the technical-scientific expertise of Rub-Lab, rubber from the supply chain managed by Ecopneus, and installation works carried out by Turlione from Baragiano.

The new surface at TRS demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainable solutions, according to commercial director Giovanni Zagaria, who says recycled rubber offers ‘extraordinary potential’.

‘This technology not only allows us to reduce the environmental impact and promote sustainability but also offers tangible economic benefits,’ adds Serena Sgarioto, innovation manager of Ecopneus. She cites stress resistance and durability as positive impacts for use by industry and communities.

Antonino Pellicane, founding partner of Rub-Lab, says the research validates the performance of road pavements made from ‘rubberised’ asphalt mixtures. He believes engineered crumb rubber allows for effective and efficient use of granular vulcanised rubber, which optimises recycled asphalt.