The use of recycled tire materials in roads, buildings and sports infrastructures
On November 17th in Turin at the RESTRUCTURA fair, a RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Workshop was held, the ETRA project which aims to raise awareness among PA technicians, stakeholders, policymakers, on the use of materials obtained from tire recycling (RTMs) in construction, urban areas and sports infrastructure.
RESTRUCTURA is the most important exhibition of constructions, renovations and restorations in the north-west of Italy. An international event that brings together every year the main players involved in the development of innovative materials and techniques and sustainable practices.
Construction activities account for around half of the resources we consume in the EU, so buildings are a good case study to assess the potential of increased circularity to contribute to climate change mitigation.
The EU's circular economy principles for building design underline the importance of, inter alia, the use of recycled materials and their further recyclability. These principles have already found practical application for many years with Recycled Tire Materials (RTMs), which are successfully used in general building construction, including infrastructure and sports facilities.
Post-consumer tires represent an important waste stream generated every year in Europe and worldwide. Tire recycling has some peculiarities that distinguish it from other recycling sectors: the materials obtained from the recycling of tires (RTMs) are not used to produce new tyres.
RTMs give life to new materials of high quality and performance: rubber, steel fibers and textile fibers, which are used in many products and applications, from roads and street furniture to sports surfaces, from building materials to infrastructures and many others, in order to improve their performance and environmental footprint.
Despite the obvious environmental, technical and economic benefits, these good practices are not always easy to implement. The lack of adequate knowledge and obstacles of various kinds slow down its growth, which is both desirable and necessary.
The Re-Plan City Life project aims to raise awareness of circular economy opportunities for RTM products and applications that will promote the adoption of environmentally friendly behaviors and practices in urban communities.
The goal is to provide models and experiences that can be easily adopted to improve Infrastructures for Transport (roads and rails), Concrete and Construction (reinforced concrete with steel fibers for industrial floors and roads, rubber slabs and layers for noise reduction, recycled fibers, textile panels for insulation), Street and Urban Furniture, Products and applications for Sport and Leisure (artificial grass pitches, sports facilities, rubber surfaces for multisport and leisure activities, etc.)