Why Aren’t More Roads Made of Rubberized Asphalt Concrete?

Over 240 million tires are thrown out every year in the U.S., and where do they go? According to RideLust, fewer than 7 percent get recycled, 5 percent are exported to other countries, 11 percent are burned for fuel and the rest are either sent to landfills, stockpiled or illegally dumped. But, there’s a very eco-friendly and easy-to-incorporate use for all of these tires: rubberized asphalt concrete, a material made from shredded rubber mixed with asphalt. RAC roads are known for making better roads that need less maintenance, yet it’s still not being used on all of the roads in the U.S.

From RideLust:

Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (RAC) does work better.

1. Using RAC clearly reduces road noise by as much as 85%
2. Applying a two-inch layer overlay of RAC can save ,000 per lane mile compared to using four inches of conventional asphalt in the same application
3. An overlay of RAC can prevent cracks in underlying pavements from reflecting through to the surface of the new paving
4. RAC retains its original color better than conventional asphalt and markings remain more visible
5. Using RAC saves on maintenance costs, a properly designed application can last 50% longer than use of standard asphalt
6. RAC provides better traction and can reduce traffic accidents in poor weather

So, what’s the holdup? Lobbyists, as usual. The government is in charge of building the streets, and politicians choose the companies that get the contracts. The biggest corporations can afford the best lobbyists – the ones that will do practically anything to get big projects for their bosses. As noted by RideLust, there’s no incentive to use RAC even though it’s far more eco-friendly and superior to the materials currently being used for most roads. Of course, using tires in RAC roads isn’t a miracle answer to all the tire waste in the world, but it can help. Too bad greedy corporations are holding up progress, as they tend to do.

Link [RideLust]

ShareThis