Dr. Moncef Nehdi
Assistant Professor, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

"Using Recycled Tire Rubber in Concrete for Highway Construction Projects in Canada"

(Category: Waste Minimization and Management)

One of the major environmental challenges facing municipalities around the world is the disposal of used automobile tires. Approximately three billion used tires are currently stockpiled throughout the United States alone, and another 240 million are generated each year - and the numbers are rising worldwide. These tires pose an environmental threat, but also constitute fire hazards and are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Dr. Nehdi proposes to recycle used tire particles as a partial replacement for natural aggregates and crushed rock (which are also rapidly depleting natural resources) in certain concrete products like tunnel linings and pipeline bedding. The resulting product, rubcrete, has a lower density, higher heat and sound insulation properties, and higher impact resistance. In this project, Dr. Nehdi will develop guidelines for the rational design of rubberized concrete mixtures to meet specific requirements of infrastructure projects, and establish a database for the engineering properties of rubberized concrete. It is hoped that when design guidelines and governing standards for rubcrete are implemented in the U.S., they will gain international acceptance.