Architecture

Earth-packed tire walls prove as structurally sound as concrete

Earth-packed tire walls prove as structurally sound as concrete
Used car tires are a massive, non-biodegradable landfill problem – and a huge opportunity in construction, argues a new study
Used car tires are a massive, non-biodegradable landfill problem – and a huge opportunity in construction, argues a new study
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Used car tires are a massive, non-biodegradable landfill problem – and a huge opportunity in construction, argues a new study
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Used car tires are a massive, non-biodegradable landfill problem – and a huge opportunity in construction, argues a new study
University of South Australia researchers submitted tire walls to a full engineering assessment, deeming them as structurally sound as concrete or wood sleepers
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University of South Australia researchers submitted tire walls to a full engineering assessment, deeming them as structurally sound as concrete or wood sleepers
Earthship-style architecture – like this home under construction – makes use of recycled materials like old tires
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Earthship-style construction makes use of recycled materials like old tires
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Australian researchers have analyzed the structural properties of walls made from end-of-life car tires packed with dirt, giving engineers some figures to work with and making a well-known upcycling technique available to the construction industry.

Car tires are an environmental nightmare. Ubiquitous, consumable, filthy to burn and they take hundreds of years to decompose in landfill, where an awful lot of them end up. Any project that can recycle them, like grinding them up for use as asphalt filler or insulation, or using them as swings and bumpers in kids' playgrounds, is an environmental boon.

For decades, people have been recycling yesterday's rubber donuts into tomorrow's tire walls, stacking them in staggered formations and packing them with dirt. You'd have seen this kind of thing plenty at motor racing facilities – indeed, some tires have been unusually keen to get involved. The Earthship movement takes the idea further, creating retaining walls and entire buildings out of tire walls, sometimes filling them with concrete rubble and broken bricks to allow for drainage, or even rendering over the top for a smoother appearance.

Earthship-style architecture – like this home under construction – makes use of recycled materials like old tires
Earthship-style construction makes use of recycled materials like old tires

These kinds of projects, though, are pretty niche. And researchers at the University of South Australia saw an opportunity in the 55 million tires the country disposes of every year. This 450,000-odd tonnes of toxic garbage could become free building materials for use in all sorts of mainstream construction projects if it was studied and documented to the point where engineers can use it.

"The lack of supporting data has prevented wider uptake of tire walls by engineers and architects, and we’re hoping this study will change that and expand the range of projects in which these walls are used," said Dr. Martin Freney, co-author of a new study that submits these tire walls to a full structural analysis. "The wall we tested was the first of its kind to be scientifically tested in this fashion, and all the data indicates tire walls can be extremely strong and safe structures.”

"Not only are the tire walls as structurally sound as concrete or wood sleeper retaining walls, they are also extremely resilient," he continued. "Unlike a concrete wall, we found these walls have the ability to ‘bounce back into shape’ following impact, such as from an earthquake. And if a drainage material such as recycled concrete rubble or crushed bricks is used to fill the tires, they also offer excellent drainage, which can be a major consideration in many retaining wall scenarios. Furthermore, the use of recycled fill materials reduces the environmental impact of the wall."

University of South Australia researchers submitted tire walls to a full engineering assessment, deeming them as structurally sound as concrete or wood sleepers
University of South Australia researchers submitted tire walls to a full engineering assessment, deeming them as structurally sound as concrete or wood sleepers

The researchers hope the data they've generated, as well as associated software models, will be used to create certified design guidelines and building code provisions to encourage the wider adoption of this environmentally-friendly – if labor-intensive – construction method.

“We really believe this research provides a strong evidence base for the expanded use of tire walls in housing and other applications, and the next step will be to engage with an industry partner to develop a range of real-world applications for tire walls,” Dr Freney said.

The study is published in the journal Engineering Structures.

Source: University of South Australia

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11 comments
11 comments
TechGazer
They'll need to develop techniques to fill the tires easily. Filling and ramming by hand is extremely labour intensive.
paul314
So what happens to all the interesting compounds in the rubber as it sits there inside a wall? Are they retained inside, or do they leach inward and outward?
*Joe*
How does dry rot affect the structural integrity of the wall over time? It might not be important for a stand alone wall, but would be for a support wall holding up a ceiling and second level.
1stClassOPP
Why not use them to create crash barriers along highways? Ugly, yah, but should be Uber functional and safe.
SageOnTheHudson
Though the article fails to mention it, I suspect that walls made from earth-filled tires also provide excellent insulation.
SilverStar Heggisist
1stClass, they use them to create bumpers at loading docks
Steve Jones
Fantastic, and the thought occurs that some "fillings" would offer exceptional insulation properties... although obviously squashing the air out of (whatever it is) will affect that!
How safe are they in the event of a house fire? Can they be made to be flame-retardant and what about the fumes?
Daryl Cook
These could be excellent building materials for retirement homes.
Sergius
Recycling used tires is extremely complicated, both logistically and operationally.
I imagine that there should be a serious policy to encourage research into a really feasible process for recycling this important polluter.
Large tire manufacturers around the world should contribute financially and technically to such research and should receive used casings back for reprocessing.
The artisanal use of pollutants is nothing more than a manifestation of good intentions that can pollute the world even more.
Those who pollute should be responsible for recycling.
Eric Blenheim
The use of used rubber car tires for 'earth ship' type housing, especially in likely close proximity to intended permaculture gardens for self-sufficiency, would not be advisable for the following reasons;

Please refer to the following articles;
'A toxic cocktail in seawater – chemicals from car tire rubber'
'Recycled Car Tyres Have No Place In The Garden'
'Environmental health implications of heavy metal pollution from car tires'

"This paper reviews the potential for environmental pollution by heavy metals from the disposal of used car tires and describes laboratory work and field research exploring the magnitude of the problem. The metals considered here are cadmium, lead, and zinc; their respective mean concentrations for ten makes of tires used in the United Kingdom ranged from 0-3.0, 8.1-22.3, and 2524-6012 ppm. The metals were extracted from tires by simulated acid-rain solutions (pH 2.5); zinc concentrations of the leachate ranged from 169-463 ppm, but cadmium and lead concentrations were negligible. A significant increase in surface soil concentrations of all three metals was measured with increasing proximity to a tire dump in West London. The respective mean concentrations of cadmium, lead, and zinc in soil at the base of the dump were 22, 1160, and 1235 ppm, indicating contamination by each metal."
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