Sustainable re-use of tyres in port, coastal and river engineering. Guidance for planning, implementation and maintenance

HR Wallingford led this study on the potential re-use of tyres in coastal and river engineering which was funded by DTI/EA and a range of other funders. Work was prompted by a European-wide ban, in the summer of 2003, on the disposal of whole tyres to landfill sites and builds on earlier work at Southampton University and at TRL-VIRIDIS. Research identified a wide range of potential uses, especially when tyres are compressed and bound in bales of about 100. A key aspect of the study was to address the full range of issues arising from the potential use of tyres in engineering works and in the water environment. Pilot schemes in coastal and river sites were used to demonstrate the suitability of tyres to different applications, and sites were monitored for physical movement, stability and chemical leaching.