Earthwork Using Tires

If a project needs a lightweight and durable material to resolve a problem with weak foundation soils or slope failures, then tire chips or tire bales are a good choice. We have constructed embankments using tire shreds and repaired slopes with tire bales, demonstrating their use as a lightweight and less expensive fill material.

Tire Bales

Tire bales are made of about 100 whole passenger tires. The bales weigh around one ton each and are approximately five feet square and 2-1/2 feet high. With a density between water and soil, engineers consider them lightweight, permeable building blocks.

Research and Demonstrations

• Direct Shear Testing of Tire Bales for Soil Reinforcement Applications
• Tire Bales in Highway Applications: Feasibility and Properties Evaluation
• Validation of the Effectiveness of Tire Bale Use in Slope Repairs and Embankment Construction
• Mechanical Properties of Tire Bales for Highway Applications
• Embankment Repair with Tire Bales

Tire Chips or Shreds

Our El Paso District constructed embankments using 1- to 12-inch pieces of scrap tires comparing two methods of construction – homogenous fill and mixed with soil.

• Tire Chips in Road and Bridge Construction
• El Paso Embankment Fill with Tire Shreds
• Item 5160 Tires for Use in Embankment