We participated in the international congress on asphalt rubber in Malaga, Spain and we learned more on the technology of pre-treated and activated tire powder (RARx)

From June 26 to 29, we were present at the Rubberized Asphalt and Asphalt Rubber (RAR2022) congress held at the Palacio de Congresos in the beautiful city of Malaga. The congress was attended by technicians of the highest level, such as the Nobel Prize winner Kevin Trenberth, and prominent academics such as John Harvey PhD and Peter Sebaaly PhD, among others.

We learned about the latest advances in rubber asphalt technology, especially that achieved by CIRTEC with its RARx product, a product manufactured from NFU (out-of-use tire) powder pretreated with bitumen and other additives of mineral origin. The RARx represents an evolution of the existing technologies to date for incorporating rubber powder as it guarantees the final quality of the mixture and the complete digestion of the rubber powder particles, avoiding the incorporation problems (dry and wet route).

The product is incorporated into the mixture production process as an additive or fine aggregate (dry route) directly into the mixing drum, obtaining a high-performance modified asphalt, resistant to cracks and rutting.

Additionally, we were invited by CIRTEC to witness the manufacturing process of the mixture with the Garrucho company in Puerto Santa María, and finally the laying of the mixture in the city of Chiclana de la Frontera (Andalusia). No problems of any kind were observed, the mixture was made at 170°C, it was moved to the site where it was laid with a Vogele in thicknesses of between 6 and 8 cm, and finally compacted with smooth and then pneumatic as usual. In the images you can see the final quality obtained.

We thank Miguel Angel Sánz from CIRTEC for the kind attention received, and Pedro, Alejandro and Manuel who kindly allowed us to tour the facilities of their asphalt plant.

We will continue studying this innovative product and we will keep you informed about the pilot section that we will carry out in Uruguay.