Fulton Hogan has completed New Zealand’s first pilot project using binder-blended crumb rubber in road sealing, combining Australian expertise with local engineering and surfacing teams in Canterbury
The trial, carried out at Fulton Hogan’s Roydon Quarry, used locally sourced crumb rubber from end-of-life tyres blended into bitumen at a rate of 10% by volume. The rubber was dissolved into the binder using high-shear agitation, a process designed to improve flexibility, durability and long-term road performance.
Graeme Johnson, CEO of Fulton Hogan, said the company’s experience in Australia, where crumb rubber binders have been used for almost two decades, demonstrates the potential benefits of the technology.
“Our extensive experience with crumb rubber binders that have been in service for a number of years in Australia, is invaluable in beginning to understand its performance in New Zealand conditions with local New Zealand inputs,” Johnson said.
The crumb rubber used in the pilot was produced from New Zealand end-of-life tyres ground down to approximately 0.6 mm fineness, offering a potential alternative to landfill disposal while creating a value-added engineering material.
“The goal is better surface performance and environmental benefit, we’d like the pilot and further study to prove this can be successfully scaled in New Zealand to deliver both,” Johnson added.
According to Fulton Hogan, the project brought together technical teams from both sides of the Tasman, combining Australian crumb rubber expertise with New Zealand surfacing, laboratory, quarry and workshop capabilities. The company said the pilot forms part of its broader strategy to use recycled materials and innovative processes to improve infrastructure performance while reducing waste.
Image credit: Fulton Hogan
