2 February 2013
Off-the-road (OTR) mining tires are made for large mining vehicles and must withstand incredible weight and adverse road conditions. They are made to move the earth and so they must be tough.
The largest OTR mining tires are almost 14ft tall and 5ft wide, and even modest-sized mining tires are around 9ft in diameter. Not only would they dwarf a person but they wouldn’t fit in a living room.
The problem
Under rough conditions and heavy loads, even the toughest of tires will eventually wear out. As the tread thins, safety measures and good performance demand that they are replaced. A new OTR tire will be bolted on to the machine and work will continue.
What can you do with a 9ft tire once it is redundant?
Tire disposal is available in two methods: incineration or piling them into junkyards, both of which have significant negative environmental affects. But there are greener ways to dispose of mining tires.
The solution
Western Tire Recyclers uses special equipment to shred even the largest tires into small bits. This rubber mulch is then used to make the soft rubber base for playgrounds or in road construction, helping to make a quieter, durable and cost-effective paving material.
Western Tire Recyclers has also been successful in converting mining tires into tire water tanks. These tanks range from 5ft to 13ft in diameter and can fit up to 2,000 gallons of liquid. Their size and durability makes them perfect for agricultural use.
The life of a mining tire passes from the unbelievable to the almost undesirable; from helping to drive the economy to taking up space in the scrap heap. Thanks to businesses like Western Tire Recyclers and their OTR tire recycling solutions, however, OTR tires can create another practical solution rather than a giant problem.