ASPHALT RUBBER RECYCLING? STATE TESTS WILL SHED LIGHT

The article describes projects that attempt to answer questions of recyclability of asphalt pavements containing crumb rubber. The recyclability projects are designed to answer two questions: whether an asphalt pavement containing reclaimed tire rubber can itself be reclaimed when necessary and used again in a new asphalt mixture; whether or not the milling, production and placement of reclaimed rubber poses danger to workers or the environment. Field tests in New Jersey which milled a pavement containing recycled tire rubber and used the reclaimed asphalt material in the production and placement of a new mixture is described. The project was successful from a materials standpoint. Efforts in Michigan, Florida, and California (Los Angseles) are also described.