A new provisional specification has been issued by the Department of Transportation for recycled crumb rubber as a stabilizer for Stone Matrix Asphalt Mixture Design, RPS Construction of Plant-Mixed Hot Mixed Asphalt Wearing Courses. 

Led by the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center, Inc., through a successfully facilitated process including the Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Protection, Apex Companies LLC, PennDOT’s Strategic Recycling Program Consultant; and most importantly, several industry leaders, details of the new specification were developed.

The RMC organized and facilitated integrated industry and agency forums to review CRM specifications.  Those involved successfully agreed a new specification could be developed and the Pennsylvania crumb rubber manufacturers could successfully meet the specification design standards.

“The key to successfully bringing crumb rubber into Pennsylvania asphalt was the collaborative efforts of PennDOT’s Strategic Recycling Program and Apex while the RMC simultaneously brought together crumb rubber industry representatives and asphalt contractors.  We are fortunate this group was able to work through what at times was an energetic dialogue,” said Robert J. Bylone, Jr., RMC Executive Director. 

“The RMC now looks forward to assisting crumb rubber producers to get their recycled CRM products approved with PennDOT,” he added.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, crumb rubber in asphalt is the largest single market for ground rubber, consuming an estimated 220 million pounds, or approximately 12 million tires in the United States. California, Arizona, and Florida use the most asphalt rubber in highway construction (over 80 percent of asphalt rubber utilized). 

With this new PennDOT specification, this figure is expected to rise significantly, opening a new, high value market for crumb rubber use in Pennsylvania.

7/23/2012