Michigan Tests Recycled Tires and Self-Healing Concrete To Combat Potholes and Extend Road Life

Michigan transportation officials are testing rubberized asphalt made from recycled tires and self-healing concrete to cut down on potholes and boost road durability across the state. The County Road Association of Michigan launched the Local Road Research Program.

In August, the Washtenaw County Road Commission used rubber asphalt for the first time on a one-mile stretch of roadway, according to Wowo. Money came from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Michigan Technological University partnered on the work.

Dr. Zhanping You, a civil engineering professor at Michigan Tech, has studied rubber asphalt for decades. He explained how recycled tire materials could help road construction. "The rubber materials from tires, there are a lot of good components we can potentially use for roads," said Dr. Zhanping You, according to WXYZ. "Will be have more elasticity so therefore it's not likely to have issues like rotting, cracks, potholes."

Researchers at Michigan State University installed four slabs of self-heating and self-healing bendable concrete on campus late last year. Data gathered from these slabs will help determine whether the material can strengthen infrastructure statewide.

At Ferris State University, Walker Glass leads certification courses focused on aggregate inspection for projects funded by the Michigan Department of Transportation. "Anybody testing materials that go into roadway projects funded by the state have to be certified," Glass said.

The testing process examines stone and concrete blends. Which materials perform best under freeze-thaw cycles and harsh weather conditions? "There are certain types of stone that are not good for concrete. Blends of concrete mixes that have performed well in the past, we can create that, replicate that. Data that we track from these tests will eventually and has made roads more durable and hold up to the climate we get in Michigan," Glass said.

Darrell Cass, chair of Local Research Road Program Board for County Road Association of Michigan, discussed the potential of new technologies. "You know there's been a lot of research on extending the life of concrete and asphalt pavements," Cass said. "And one of the technologies we're aware of is you can use rubberized asphalt to overlay an existing road."

Rachelle Hatter, a Southfield driver, welcomed the technological advances. They added: "We definitely need it, and it'll be better in the long run," Hatter said.