TNRCC INFORMATION

Waste Tire Recycling Program, Office of Permitting

September 1999

SUBJECT:

Construction of Retaining Structures Using Scrap Tires

Scrap tires are a readily available, light weight and inexpensive alternate building material. When properly engineered, scrap tires can be successfully used for erosion control, terracing, retaining walls, steps, bridge supports, dams, and levees. The advantages of using tires in construction and repair projects include: low cost, ready availability, and durability. Scrap tires can be removed from the waste stream and immediately used as lightweight building blocks. The disadvantages of using tires as building materials include size limitation and variability, questionable aesthetic appeal, and vulnerability to fire. Low height retaining structures: Considerable use has been made of whole used and scrap tires as low retaining walls, to add and reinforce road width in steep slope areas, to provide shoulder support on paved roads, and to repair wash outs. Typically, these structures are a single row of tires, stacked vertically, or placed in staggered layers three to six tires high. The tires may be stabilized with lengths of rebar or posts driven through the tires and into the ground. The tires are backfilled with native material, seeded, and mulched. Gravity retaining structures: Gravity retaining structures are horizontal layers of tires designed to stay in place as a result of their weight. Individual tires are arranged in a single layer and clipped together with No. 4 rebar fasteners. Alternate designs include rows two or three tires deep, stabilization with metal posts, and backfilling. Because the tires are tied together, they act as a unit to resist lateral forces and support the embankment. Geotextile-reinforced tire wall: This unique design was constructed by the National Park Service using 250 scrap tires reinforced with layers of geotextile material and anchored into the soil that was compacted behind the tire face of the wall. The design consisted of 16 tire layers, staggered center to center, and reinforced by a geotextile sheet between every two layers. The geotextile also served to anchor the wall, minimize lateral movement, and prevent excessive settling of the fill material. Soil was compacted behind the wall of tires as additional tire layers were added to reach the 10-foot final height. The voids in the tires were filled with hand-compacted local material as each layer was placed, and the tires were additionally staggered and vertically offset to form a 1H:4V sloped wall face. This left exposed space on the face of the wall between the tires for vegetation, further stabilizing the wall and improving the appearance of the project. Tire dam: More than 1,000 scrap tires were used to construct an erosion control dam (sand dam) in an arroyo on the Kings Anvil Ranch near Tucson, AZ. The dam is 45 feet long, 30 feet thick at the base, and six feet high. The tires were placed in staggered layers and bound together with industrial grade plastic strapping, filled with 1-inch gravel, and anchored in the arroyo. In time, water flow in the arroyo will fill the voids in the gravel-filled tires with sand.

Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission PO Box 13087 Austin, Texas 78711-3087
The TNRCC is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The agency does not allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation or veteran status. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this document may be requested in alternate formats by contacting the TNRCC at 512/239-0028, Fax 239-0044, or 1-800-RELAY-TX (TDD), or by writing PO Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Authorization for use or reproduction of any original material contained in this publication, i.e., not obtained from other sources, is freely granted. The Commission would appreciate acknowledgment. printed on recycled paper

As with any project, planning, design, and preparation are critical. Tire walls are relatively inexpensive, but they should be considered only after evaluating alternative materials and designs as well as all site factors.