Road Construction Using URRO Blocks

B871 Syre to Kinbrace road during construction 2002 The road has performed superbly with minimal aftercare.

Key Benefits

In terms of road construction the main characteristics of URRO blocks are low density compared to conventional road materials, high permeability and good load bearing properties, which allows blocks to be placed over very soft soils to form a road base. The size and uniformity of the blocks allows for easy placement and fast and efficient construction in any application leading to significant cost savings in manpower and equipment.

The blocks proved both performance and ease of use on an award winning project on the B871 road in Sutherland which has been in operation since Dec 2002. This use of the blocks was independently monitored - for a copy of the report please e-mail dennis.

The renowned Transport Research Laboratory in Edinburgh have compiled information both from the USA and the UK on the advantages of using blocks as an alternative to aggregate. This information will form part of a published report in the TRRL series highlighting new construction techniques for the civil engineering market.

Following a visit from a Finnish government and trade delegation to Northern Tyre Recycling in 2004, URRO blocks have been adopted are being used to construct several highway class roads in Finland. The photographs below show a road section under construction.

Award winning projects involving the Highland Council and Forest Enterprise have demonstrated that roads built with tyre blocks outperform and are more cost effective than those using traditional materials in soft ground conditions.

Tyre blocks also offer the most effective method of building a floating road over soft ground. Wind farm construction usually requires a large site road network, often covering areas with poor ground conditions, and URRO blocks can provide a solution, in part or in whole, on many sites. Scottish Natural Heritage have noted that the blocks offer advantages since they minimise disruption to the natural water course, an increasingly common concern when adding new roads to an area.

NTR work closely with civil engineering contractors and consultants to ensure the overall design uses the block to best advantage and the Transport Research Laboratory are additionally available to provide additional design support on our projects. A recent report by Finnish engineering consultancy, Roadscanners confirmed that the material cost of tyre blocks are comparable to traditional aggregates, however the cost to install tyre blocks is lower. Detailed costs can be provided as required and we can also offer example designs.

Contact:       Dennis Scott        Tel: 01349 832 832    Mobile: 07720717176    E-mail:  dennis@northerntyre.com  Unit 11, Evanton Industrial Estate, Evanton, Ross-shire, IV16 9VA

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