pineda Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 RECYCLED TIRES MAKE ROADS QUIETERby Ella Tyler The state of Arizona has become a leader in reducing freeway noise by using a pavement that contains recycled tires in the road surface mix. Approximately 75% of freeway noise is generated from tires. Studies have shown that rubberized asphalt can reduce traffic noise levels by an average of 4 decibels, which represents a reduction of as much as 50% in freeway noise. In addition, the frequency of the noise that tires produce while rolling on rubberized asphalt is lower than the frequency on concrete surfacing and therefore less irritating to homeowners and freeway drivers. The material consists of regular asphalt paving mixed with ground-up used tires. Approximately 1,500 tires per lane are needed for every mile of rubberized asphalt paving overlay, applied to a depth of about one inch. According to the Arizona department of transportation's Quiet Roads web site, <http://www.azdot.gov/Highways/EEG/QuietRoads>, rubberized asphalt has been used on Arizona highways since 1988. The quiet road technology is not yet generally eligible for federal funds, but in 2003 ADOT began a three-year, $34-million pilot program in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. The project will resurface about 115 miles of freeways in the Phoenix area with rubberized asphalt, and is expected to set a new standard for freeway noise reduction. Arizona's experience has been that a rubberized asphalt overlay has a shorter life span than a concrete overlay but longer than conventional asphalt. When the rubberized asphalt begins to deteriorate, it breaks up into pieces that are too large to add to the problem of airborne particulate pollution. According to ADOT, the question of whether a darker colored pavement intensifies a heat-island effect is being researched now. The rubberized asphalt friction course layer is less dense than concrete and is believed to shed heat more quickly than concrete, which tends to retain heat for longer periods of time. The material can be applied only in the spring and fall because the road surface must be between 85 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the material can be applied any time during the life of the road. The technology is widely used in Europe. In Texas, it is being tested in the San Antonio area.________________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalparadise Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Sounds like a good idea. I'd be willing to wager that this stuff would cause tires to wear out slower, too.So, in essence, I guess, over the course of hundreds of years it could slowly make itself obsolete. If tires wear more slowly there will be fewer to recycle, which will lower the number available for the roadways... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 some facts about the quiet roads programIf you go to the left-hand side and click on links, there is a noise abatement video that shows how noise pollution can be mitigated by the use of the quiet rubberized roads. Very interesting stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwrm4 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 (edited) Wow...this would be great if it was ever laid down in H-town. I like to think that my neighborhood, Woodland Heights, is one of the more pleasant places to live inside the loop; the only real downside to it is that, based on wind direction, the roar from I-45 and I-10 just seems to permeate the entire neighborhood. True, the freeway roar kinda has a white noise effect, but, when the wind blows out of the north or west, you really notice how quiet and peaceful it becomes.I noticed today while driving on some of the new I-10 sections that the grooves on it really make your tires scream...I have to jack the radio up a couple notches after I pass 610 heading westbound. Feel sorry for the folks that live only a few hundred feet from it. Edited January 28, 2006 by cwrm4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Does this stuff melt in Houston's climate? I know of few asphalt roads that remain in good condition in our city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Does this stuff melt in Houston's climate? I know of few asphalt roads that remain in good condition in our city.I doubt it if Arizona is using it so successfully. As hot as Houston is much of the year, it's nothing compared to Phoenix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted February 11, 2006 Author Share Posted February 11, 2006 and speaking of rubberized roads.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 "QUIET FREEWAY", that is an Oxymoron. It would be nice though, I live approximately a mile from the I-10 and I can still hear it in the morning, not so much at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston1stWordOnTheMoon Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 I doubt it if Arizona is using it so successfully. As hot as Houston is much of the year, it's nothing compared to Phoenix.Will it hold up to the excessive heat and humidiity that Houston has? The heat in Phoenix is dry as opposed to the Houston climate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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