Field study of a shredded-tire embankment in Virginia

In response to increased environmental concerns, the Virginia Department of Transportation, with the support of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, developed an experimental project designed to test the feasibility of using shredded tires for constructing highway embankments. Approximately 1.7 million discarded tires were used on the project constructed near Williamsburg in the summer of 1993, the only shredded-tire highway embankment in Virginia to date. During the 10-year monitoring period, the shredded-tire embankment performed satisfactorily based on environmental and engineering assessments. The researchers recommended that the use of shredded-tire embankments be considered a viable option for disposing of discarded tires in an environmentally responsible way.