recycled rubber roads?

is this a good idea? or the last gasp of the corrupt asphalt industry? aren't concrete roads better? and can't you basically turn tires into oil really easily?

http://cookcountygov.com/Media/06_releases/ccpr_042307highway.html

know how the quality compares.

Makes it easily on the knees to run on, and provides for expansion and contraction where that is important.
I think it also lasts longer.

and the material is bad for the environment.

several years ago, i remember seeing it on tv. ever since then i have been trying to figure out why we are not mining the hundred?, thousands? of similar dumps across the country. especially since they are such great places for diseased mosquitoes to breed.

... for that idea for concrete tires I've had on the back burner all these years. :)

Uses old tires that would otherwise go into landfills. Reduces the amount of actual asphalt needed. It is 100x quieter - better for the neighborhoods.

We use it extensively in Arizona - the difference is tremendous.

As to why not concrete - concrete is too expensive to use everywhere, and repaving with rubberized asphalt is much cheaper than tearing up a road completely to put down new concrete.

Besides, concrete isn't exactly environmentaly benign.

...they have greater rolling resistance, so would reduce the mileage of cars driving over them.

I don't think it's so severe as to make them a bad idea, though.

Concrete may last longer, but it makes for a noisy ride and is much more expensive up front.

I have been processing Crumb Rubber from old tires into asphalt for the past two years, it doesn't make a better road, it does make use of old tires.

Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene, Poly-Phosphoric Acid and Latex are the most common additives in use today.

As far as corruption goes, I haven't seen any of that go on in my company in the 15 years I have worked here as regional manager, but I'm sure any industry who does business with the government has some of that going on.

And no tires aren't petroleum based, we have our additives frozen and crushed, nylon and steel cords and belts removed, then processed into a fine powder to be added to liquid asphalt that is about 350 degrees F. It then must be kept agitated with mixers until it is applied to the stone. It's a tricky blend that can foul up a storage tank real quick if you don't watch out.

not so much now that most of them are in prison. good old "family" business. iirc, asphalt roads were one of ralph nadar's pet peeves, back in the day. it was my very vague perception that the difference in the production of ozone from asphalt roads vs concrete roads was moving governments toward more concrete roads.

I'm in Toledo, Ohio.

Seeing how Asphalt is whats left over when you distill crude oil, it has to go someplace so they can distill some more. For a long time the refineries were practically giving the stuff away in the winter when no one was paving. Storage capacity was a valuable thing.

Since bush came into office priced have quadrupled and sales have plummeted.

As for Ozone, that's a new one on me, I'll have to check it out. Most people complain about the Hydrogen Sulfide.

But either way, as long as we refine crude we will make asphalt, and short of capturing the offending emissions, and transporting them to another location for storage, they will continue to be emitted.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmmmmmmm :)

I remember reading about, I think Germany's, roads made out of rubber - or perhaps it has rubber as a large component. It lasts longer and is easier to ride upon.