Although car and tyre manufacturers have made considerable efforts to limit the noise pollution of vehicles, an additional decrease in road traffic noise can also come from new approaches in the construction of coated road surfaces.

Asphalt Rubber

End-of-life tyre powder, once incorporated into bitumen or associated with coated products, makes it possible to improve the acoustic characteristics of the coated product, as well as its resistance to cracking caused by freezing and thawing. Similarly, it enhances the adherence of vehicles.

Tyres are used in the form of powder to manufacture coated road materials. The powder is incorporated into the mixture during the manufacture of the coated material. The aim of this application is to improve the acoustic characteristics of the coated material, as well as its resistance to cracking during freezing and thawing, and its adherence.

In France, this application has not yet been fully developed, but it has received more attention in Portugal (Valorpneu), Spain (Signus) and Italy (Ecopneus).

In 2014, the Spanish end-of-life tyre recovery sector, Signus published a Guide for manufacturing asphalt with powder rubber obtained from end-of-life tyres (in French or in Spanish).

Asphalt incorporating textile fibres

The use of textile fibres in asphalt has also been assessed by some studies: Valorisation of ELT textile fibres in asphalt (in French)