Waste to Wealth; The Utilization of Scrap Tyre as Aggregate in Bituminous Mixes for Road Construction

摘要

TThe problem associated with solid waste management is on the increase both in the industries, urban cities and in the rural areas. In the United States of America, Asia and Europe, there are over hundreds of waste to wealth combustion plants from where solid wastes are incinerated. In Nigeria, amidst the increasing importation of vehicle tyre such plants are scarcely in existence to enhance generation of revenue from waste through the extraction of raw material for the production of light weight aggregates, printing ink, paints, shoe polish, dry cell and battery heads. This research paper seeks to utilize vehicle scrap tyre (VST) as aggregates in asphaltic mixture by adopting the dry process to evaluate the effect of rubber-bitumen interaction on asphaltic concrete properties; laboratory investigation using 4.75mm, 2.36mm and 0.600mm chunk tyre particle size modified asphalt mixture containing 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% scrap tyre and 0% tyre content as control mixture. The mixtures were subjected to Marshall Tests where the stability, flow, percentage air void, unit weight, void mineral aggregate, height of specimen and specific gravity were determined. The results obtained shows that as tyre percentage increase the stability, unit weight and specific gravity value decreases. On the other hand, as the tyre content increases, the flow and height of specimen increases while as the tyre content increases the percentage air void and VMA increased for 4.75mm Tyre Particle Size (TPS) and 2.36mm TPS while for 0.600mm TPS, reverse is the case. In summary and in comparism with standard specification for road construction material, the Marshall tests conducted on the tyre modified specimens remained intact and by interpretation; material possessing such property indicates good impact resistance when use as surface course in flexible pavement. Conclusively, the use of 10% 4.75mm, 4% 2.36mm or 4% 0.600mm TPS by weight of aggregate in asphaltic concrete is recommended for medium traffic volume pavement which in turn leads to a considerable percentage of sanitation in our cities in terms of reduction in scrap tyre waste management and waste to wealth generation.