The Workshop entitled “Rubber and asphalt mixtures between myth and reality. How to overcome obstacles” was held at the ANAS headquarters in Rome on 4-5 December 2024.

The Workshop is the result of the joint work of two LIFE projects funded by the European Commission.

The RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project, coordinated by ETRA, aims to raise awareness on the use of recycled tire materials (RTM), promote environmentally friendly behaviors in urban communities, stimulate the adoption of good circular economy practices and create further opportunities for cooperation and implementation through new projects.

The LIFE SILENT project, coordinated by ANAS, addresses the problem of low-noise pavements with rubber granulates in an innovative way, introducing functionalized cellulose fibers into the asphalt mixture to increase its fatigue resistance and, consequently, its lifespan. This aspect is of great importance to reduce costs and promote wider adoption.

During the first day it was possible to make a technical visit to a specialized plant that uses rubber powder, while during the second day the workshop will take place, divided into two distinct moments:

 - International seminar that will show the most recent experiences and innovations in the use of Recycled Tire Materials (RTMs) in asphalt and road infrastructures.

- Round table to analyze the obstacles that limit the use of these materials and how they could be overcome.

The workshop will also illustrate the tools implemented by the projects to stimulate greater commitment by Public Administrations in the adoption of good practices and Green Procurement.

The two days were the opportunity to take stock of the ongoing experiments on asphalt with recycled rubber. The two projects LIFE SILENT and REPLAN CITY-LIFE aim to expand the use of recycled materials from end-of-life tyres to improve the performance and sustainability of transport infrastructures and collaborate to create greater opportunities for dissemination and networking. The aim of the workshop was to provide a lively forum where stakeholders could analyse the identified obstacles, present the tools designed to overcome these obstacles, propose and discuss suitable strategies to involve Public Administrations, identify possible synergies between EU projects and programmes and improve cooperation, create the basis for new projects.