Livingston Street Reconstruction using Shredded Scrap Tires

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The Town of Tewksbury, Massachusetts has reconstructed an 800-foot-length of Livingston Street using about 200,000 shredded scrap tires as lightweight fill - the first application of its kind in Massachusetts, and one of a handful of similar projects nationally.

Why Lightweight Fill?
This section of roadway has been plagued for decades by poor performance caused by soft soils in the embankment and underlying foundation. The soft soils caused pavement cracking and deterioration due to settlement, requiring continuous maintenance and repairs. The roadway has settled up to 3 feet in some spots since the last reconstruction 24 years ago. The lightweight fill is designed to lighten and strengthen the embankment, substantially reducing settlement and improving long-term performance.

Why Tire Shreds?
Scrap tires present a significant waste problem for Massachusetts and the US. Americans discard about 280 million tires annually. About 25 percent go unused, being landfilled, stockpiled or illegally dumped. The stockpiles and illegal dumps look ugly, breed mosquitoes and rodents, and pose fire hazards. Disposing of tires and shreds legally in landfills unnecessarily wastes large volumes of valuable space. Tire shreds have beneficial properties that make them excellent lightweight fill. Tire shreds also appear to be the most cost-effective lightweight fill available.

Objectives
The Town of Tewksbury’s objectives for the reconstruction of Livingston Street were:
• A Smoother roadway surface;
• Enhanced long-term roadway performance;
• Reduced long-term roadway maintenance; and
• Reduced short-term construction costs.

The objectives of the Massachusetts Highway Department (MassHighway) were:
• An original and exemplary use of tire shreds as lightweight fill in Massachusetts; and
• Research on the use of tire shreds as lightweight fill beneath roadways.

Results
In addition to reducing and reusing a significant portion of the solid waste stream, the project has thus far fulfilled the objectives of both the Town and MassHighway. Reconstruction was accomplished well under budget. Cost savings were about 33 percent, when compared to the estimated cost of the next viable lightweight fill alternative.

MassHighway is funding research, with 80 percent assistance from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), to document reconstruction, as well as monitor and compare pre- and post-construction performance of the roadway. The research, being conducted by Stephens Associates Consulting Engineers, LLC, will be used in preparation of standard specifications and design details for future projects.

Participants
Owner:   Town of Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Geotechnical Engineer (Tire Shred Designer and Researcher):  Stephens Associates Consulting Engineers, LLC
Civil Engineer: Cuoco & Cormier Engineering Associates, Inc
Consultant:  Professor Dana N. Humphrey, Ph.D. P.E., University of Maine, Orono
Contractor:   J.J. Phelan & Son Co., Inc.
Tire Shred Supplier:  J.P. Routhier & Sons, Inc.
Research Funding:  MassHighway/Federal Highway Administration