 The need for practical recycled tire products that utilize a large quantity of waste tires while producing a value added product has been a primary goal of the state of New York as well as solid waste administrators on the national and international level. Historically these waste tires were stockpiled in landfills causing a multitude of well documented environmental hazards. Currently the solid waste community has attempted to alleviate the tire stockpiles as well as the newly created waste tires by recycling methods that primarily involve the grinding up of whole tires. In 2006 the USA generated 300 million new waste tires, 76% (228 million) of these tires were ground up in one form or another and then utilized for three major end uses.
While grinding tires has been effective in utilizing large quantities of waste tires, the energy inefficiency and cost effectiveness of the manufacturing process along with the limited value of the end product leaves much to be desired. In 2005 a Research and Development grant from New York’s, Empire State Development Environmental Services Unit was awarded to demonstrate the effectiveness of the TIRE LOG as a replacement for chemically treated timbers in the construction of a 6 ft. high by 20 ft. long retaining wall.  The TIRE LOG worked exceptionally well for this application and shows promise to work extremely well for many others. Due to its “bends but doesn’t break” and resistance to decay characteristics it has proven superior to conventional building materials for a wide variety of civil engineering applications. The Tire Log may have its most profound value in areas that are prone to earthquakes or other extreme forces such as wave action, explosions or vehicle impacts. Click “TIRE LOG” RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECT for the complete Research Development and Demonstration report submitted to the New York Empire State Development, Environmental Services Unit. The TIRE LOG began as a concept to develop a safety utility pole from waste tires. The idea was to cut the sidewalls off a tire and then, make a tire strip from the tread material. The strips of tire tread are then tightly wound together in a spiral configuration to make a pole of virtually any diameter or length desired. The TIRE POLE would then be encased in a layer of fiberglass or similar material to make it stiff enough for the desired application. The energy-absorbing properties of the tire material along with its durability and natural resistance to decomposition would make it an excellent substitute for the conventional chemically treated wooden utility pole.   In the process of developing the TIRE POLE we found that we were able to wind the tire strips into a variety of different shapes. When we wound them into a rectangular shape we had a stackable TIRE LOG that could be used for a multitude of construction applications.  The net result is a building material with unique benefits, combining the desirable characteristics of tire materials with the structural integrity provided by Re-Tread Products’ patented design. The TIRE LOG like the TIRE POLE is suitable for a wide variety of applications that require a material that can withstand the most demanding environmental and physical stresses without deterioration or deformation.  | |
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