Let Me Shingle Your Roadway

Abstract

Approximately 10 million tons (9 071 850 Mg) of waste bituminous roofing are torn off annually in the United States. This volume is a major factor in the rapid filling of landfills. In 1995, Benton County, Iowa, initiated a program to cost-effectively recycle torn-off waste shingles. Nine hundred tons of waste shingles were ground with a Maxigrind. A magnetic roller on the discharge conveyor removed most of the nails. Five hundred tons of the ground waste shingles were blade mixed into 0.6 km (0.4 mi) of a crushed-stone granular surfaced Benton County rural secondary roadway. A magnet attached to the motor grader removed another 0.33 kg (0.75 lb) of nails during the spreading and mixing operation on the 0.6 km (0.4 mi) section of roadway. The bitumen of the waste shingles was very effective in providing a dust-free granular surfaced roadway. It remains relatively dust free 1 year after treatment.