Recycled tires may help concrete prevent spalling

Already, some companies have been adding polypropylene fibers to concrete, to prevent spalling. The idea is that when the concrete is heated by fire, those fibers will melt, creating networks of tiny channels throughout the material. Any moisture present within the concrete can then escape through those channels – it would otherwise remain trapped, turn to steam, and force the material to break.

Typically, the fibers used for this purpose are composed of virgin polypropylene, which requires a considerable amount of energy and resources to produce. Scientists at Britain’s University of Sheffield, though, have determined that fibers harvested from old tires are just as effective. More precisely, those fibers come from a textile reinforcement material that is commonly used in tires.

The researchers are now working with Sheffield-based construction firm Twincon, refining a cost-effective technique for separating the fibers from tire rubber, untangling them, and then distributing them evenly within a concrete mixture. They are also looking at various fiber-to-concrete ratios, and at using different types of concrete.

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