CalRecycle Rubberized Pavement Grant Program
The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) receives an annual appropriation from the Tire Recycling Program and the California Tire Recycling Management Fund as authorized by the California Tire Recycling Act of 1989 (AB1843) to allow for the awarding and funding of grants for activities that result in reduced landfill disposal of waste tires. Based on funding availability, CalRecycle offers the Rubberized Pavement Grant Program annually to promote the use of Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (RAC) and encourage the recycling of California-generated waste tires. This grant program funds public work projects that utilizes RAC from recycled tires.
Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (RAC)
Rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC) is a road paving material made by blending and heating ground tire rubber with asphalt to produce a binder, which is then mixed with conventional aggregate materials (Figure 28). This mix is then placed and compacted into a road surface.
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Benefits of using RAC are as follows:
Cost-effective
In most applications, RAC can be used at a reduced thickness compared to conventional asphalt overlays. in some cases, RAC can be placed at half the thickness of conventional material which can result in significant material reduction and cost savings.
Durable, Safe and Quiet
RAC is long lasting. It resists cracking, which can reduce maintenance costs, it provides better skid resistance, it retains its darker color longer so that road markings are more clearly visible, and RAC can also reduce road noise.
Environmentally Friendly
California produces more than 40 million waste tires annually, of which majority are diverted from landfill disposal. Over the past few years, California has used more than 10 million waste tires in RAC paving projects, diverting them from landfills or illegal disposal.
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Use of RAC in County of Riverside
The County of Riverside has been using RAC since 1995. The county typically uses a 2-inch thick overlay on all RAC resurfacing projects. A 2-inch thick RAC overlay uses over 1,200 scrap tires per lane mile. This means that for a one-mile section of a four-lane highway, over 4,800 scrap tires can be used in creating a safer, quieter, longer-lasting road. Since 2005, the County has used over 599,500 scrap tires in its pavement rehabilitation projects. This translates to at least 420,000 scrap tires diverted from landfills.
Click here to learn more about the CalRecycle Rubberized Pavement Grant Program
Approved Grants for the County of Riverside
FY2021-22 San Jacinto Street Resurfacing Project
FY2021-22 Max Gillis Boulevard and Leon Road Resurfacing Project
The use of RAC for these two projects resulted in approximately 22,000 scrap tires diverted from landfill disposal.