Engineers at RMIT University in Australia have discovered a bitumen blend that is both UV-resistant and withstands traffic loads, with the potential to save governments millions on road maintenance annually.
Roads are typically not designed with any sun protection, which makes them prone to cracking and eventually unsafe to drive on.
Incorporating recycled rubber not only offers sun protection but offers a sustainable way to recycle the material in many countries.
“We found that the ageing trend is actually slowed down when you add crumb rubber, which is recycled from scrap tyres, into the top layer of a road,” said associate professor Filippo Giustozzi.
“This acts so effectively as a sunscreen for roads that it actually makes the surface last twice as long as regular bitumen.
“We knew that UV would be a factor in road degradation, but not by what degree or how to protect against it, as nobody has really been looking at this aspect.”
The researchers...