The casting took place as part of Dr Shan-Shan Huang and Prof Kypros Pilakoutas's Newton Fund Innovation Bridge award to research the recycling of tyre steel and polymer fibres for use in the concrete construction industry.
Collaborating with industry partner Twincon, brand new prototype fibre cleaning and integration machines have been developed to turn the tyre polymer fibres from waste to usable construction materials, and to ensure that they are dispersed uniformly in concrete. The concrete will now be tested for strength and durability and fire resistance.
This is the first time that this kind of material has been used to reinforce concrete and the findings could potentially ensure the safety of infrastructure in the event of fire as well as significantly reducing waste.