NFU

The aim of the project is to make use of recycled tyres as a construction material for linear infrastructures. This type of value adding is interesting for two fundamental reasons:

• From the environmental point of view, the implementation of this system allows the exploitation of large volumes of end-of-use tyres (around 40 million tyres are produced each year just in Spain). Furthermore, the energy consumption required to transform the material for this use is very low, since it is only necessary to shred it, as opposed to the consumption for other applications such as the pulverization necessary for their use in asphalt mixtures.
• The use of this material represents an improvement against certain geotechnical risks, such as highly deformable soils, as their density is reduced and therefore they can be considered as lightweight fill material in the construction of road embankments.

The research project includes a full-scale test section on an embankment of a road infrastructure and the analysis of its behavior by means of instrumentation installed in its interior.

CEMOSA’s role in this research project consists of designing the demonstration pilot, defining the transverse sections and the construction procedure, defining the test section including the monitoring system and auscultation plan. CEMOSA is also responsible for the site supervision during the construction phase, as well as the installation of the monitoring system.

Finally, it carries out the follow-up of the auscultation data after construction.

The CEMOSA’s departments involved in this project are: Transport Infrastructures, Geotechnical Engineering and Quality Control of Construction Materials, all coordinated by the R&D Department.