Objective
This project is prepared with the assistance of an exploratory award which includes a Research Feasibility Study. Most scrap tyres are buried in landfill sites, a procedure which will effectively be prohibited by the year 2000. Incineration is the other main disposal route but requires scrubbing of harmful by products and does not exploit the remaining structural properties of the tyres. It is possible that given a improved durability and through appropriate processing, scrap tyres can be used to replace the more traditional materials of timber, steel and concrete for a variety of construction and engineering applications. The abundance of what has previously been a waste product can therefore be exploited as a raw material making this both economically and socially attractive. This undertaking introduces a new concept in tyre disposal. Scrap tyres will be converted by non destructive re manufacture into a versatile composite material suitable for many uses. The prime objective is to use this Reinforced Rubber Composite in road safety barriers. The material will firstly be used as posts to compliment the already established wire rope system, and secondly to be used as beam elements giving a new concept in 'soft' impact barriers. The concept is particularly novel because unlike previous recycling methods, the remanufactured products will directly exploit the steel reinforcement present in the tyre treads, giving exceptionally high performance for medium tech engineering applications. The use in barrier products will be extended through the development of a noise barrier which will exploit the unique noise absorption and reflection properties of the rubber. The risk is moderate and the feasibility study and a preliminary impact test conducted at MIRA in January 1998 have given encouraging results. The risks can be easily justified because demand for softer barriers is high, giving high return on initial capital investment. This is because the risk of personal injury on impact with the safety fence is reduced (the cost of each road death to the community is currently assessed at 1,200 kECU). Problem areas to be addressed include material cutting, bonding agents and application methods, and environmental durability. Barrier design will be optimised through material analysis and computer simulation before full scale impact testing provides validation to CEN Pr EN 1317. The success of the project will provide confidence in the performance of the composite and demonstrate its suitability for use in other engineering applications. Technological spin offs will include new machinery, finishing processes and further research and development programmes. The completion of this research project will be a successful finale to 5 years' research and development to extend the life ftyre materials from typically 2 years to over 20 years.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering composites
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes
- natural sciences mathematics applied mathematics mathematical model
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
NG19 0FS Mansfield
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.