Earthmover Tyre Recycling: Bulldozer, Scraper, and Loader Tyres

By:     Kieran Donnelly

Expert review by:     Conor Murphy

Earthmoving equipment operates in conditions that standard tyres wouldn’t survive for a working day. Wheeled loaders push against blasted rock faces. Scrapers haul heavy cuts of material across broken ground. Motor graders work on surfaces that generate constant abrasion and impact loading. The tyres that survive these conditions are built accordingly: thick multi-ply carcass construction, deep aggressive tread, heavy-gauge steel reinforcement throughout, and rubber compounds designed for cut and chip resistance rather than road-going longevity.

These same properties create processing challenges at end of life. A large wheeled loader tyre in the 29.5R25 size range weighs 300 to 450kg and has a diameter approaching two metres. A motor grader tyre in the 23.5R25 range weighs 180 to 280kg. A large articulated dump truck tyre can reach 600kg depending on specification. None of these can be handled manually at any stage of processing. None can be loaded into a standard tyre baler without pre-processing. And none can be transported economically as whole tyres when a single unit consumes most of a standard vehicle’s payload capacity.

Treating earthmover tyre waste the same way as car or truck tyre waste is a mistake that produces damaged equipment, inadequate processing, inefficient transport, and a disposal process that costs substantially more than it needs to. The right approach starts with understanding what you’re actually dealing with.

Size and Weight Reference for Earthmover Tyres

Before specifying processing equipment or planning transport, you need accurate dimensions and weights for the specific tyre types in your fleet or intake stream. Earthmover tyre sizes vary enormously even within a single equipment category.

These are indicative figures. Always confirm specific tyre weights and dimensions from the tyre manufacturer’s technical data when planning equipment specifications or transport loads.

The weight column determines the mechanical handling requirement at every stage. Tyres up to approximately 300kg can be managed with a standard counterbalance forklift rated to 2,500kg. Tyres from 300 to 700kg need a larger forklift or a wheel loader. Tyres above 700kg require crane handling or large-capacity equipment.

Retreading: Reducing the Waste Volume Before Disposal Planning

A proportion of earthmover tyres are suitable for retreading at end of their first tread life, and retreading should be considered before any disposal arrangement is made. A carcass that passes inspection and can be retreaded extends service life significantly and delays entry into the waste stream. Retreading an earthmover tyre costs a fraction of a new tyre and performs equivalently in service when the carcass is in good condition.

Retreading rates for earthmover tyres vary by application. Impact and cut damage from rocky terrain may condemn a tyre at relatively low tread wear. Tyres in less abrasive environments may retread twice or more. The tyre supplier or retreader assesses carcass condition at the point of removal. Submitting tyres for retread assessment, rather than assuming all worn tyres are waste, reduces annual tyre waste volumes and total tyre procurement costs simultaneously.

For civil engineering contractors and quarry operators managing large plant fleets, a formal tyre management programme that tracks individual carcass history and retreading decisions is worth implementing. The data it generates improves procurement planning and ensures retreading decisions are made consistently rather than informally.

On-Site Processing: The Logistics Case

The logistics cost of transporting whole earthmover tyres is disproportionately high relative to their recoverable rubber content. A single 400kg wheeled loader tyre loaded whole onto a flatbed consumes most of the vehicle’s usable payload for that unit alone. Transporting it to a processing facility 200km away costs more per kilogram of rubber recovered than almost any other tyre type in the waste stream.

On-site size reduction using dedicated OTR cutting equipment changes this equation fundamentally. Cutting and splitting transforms the tyre from an unmanageable whole into sections that stack, load efficiently, and can be transported in significantly greater quantities per vehicle load.

Gradeall’s OTR tyre splitter cuts large OTR tyres into two halves, immediately halving the largest dimension and making each half far more manageable for transport and further processing. The OTR tyre sidewall cutter provides a second stage of size reduction, removing the sidewall and preparing the tyre body for baling or shredding. Together, these machines convert an expensive transport problem into a manageable materials handling operation.

For a quarry or construction site generating 20 or more large earthmover tyres per month, the processing equipment investment typically pays back in transport cost savings within the first year of operation. The exact calculation depends on tyre size, transport distance, and the local market for processed tyre material.

For the full combination of OTR processing options, see Gradeall’s OTR tyre cutting equipment range.

Processing Sequence for Earthmover Tyres

A practical processing sequence for earthmover tyres at a quarry or civil construction site:

Stage 1: Removal from vehicle. Earthmover tyres are removed using specialised tyre handling equipment rated for the tyre weight. This is a task for trained personnel using the correct lifting and handling gear. No stage of earthmover tyre processing should involve manual lifting of individual tyres.

Stage 2: Deflation confirmation. Before any cutting operation begins, confirm the tyre is fully deflated. OTR tyres in service operate at high inflation pressures. A tyre that has been punctured but not fully deflated may retain dangerous residual pressure. Do not begin cutting operations on a tyre that hasn’t been confirmed as fully deflated.

Stage 3: Splitting. The OTR tyre splitter divides the whole tyre into two manageable halves. Each half is handled with a forklift for subsequent operations.

Stage 4: Sidewall cutting. The OTR tyre sidewall cutter removes the sidewall from each half. The remaining tread and belt sections are the material that goes forward to baling or transport.

Stage 5: Baling or loading for transport. Split and sidewall-cut sections bale effectively in the MKII Tyre Baler for transport to downstream processing. Alternatively, processed sections can be loaded directly onto transport vehicles for collection by an energy recovery facility or tyre shredder.

Downstream Routes for Processed Material

Once reduced to manageable sections, earthmover tyre material follows the same downstream routes as other large OTR tyre waste:

Energy recovery. The dominant global route. The calorific value of OTR rubber, typically 30 to 35 MJ/kg, is comparable to coal and makes it a valued fuel for cement kilns and large industrial energy recovery processes. Most cement producers accept processed OTR tyre sections or chips as tyre-derived fuel. The specific feed size requirement varies by kiln configuration; confirm with the receiving facility before finalising your processing specification.

Shredding and crumb rubber production. Industrial shredders process OTR tyre sections to rubber chips. Pre-processing (splitting and sidewall cutting) before the shredder significantly reduces blade loading and extends blade service life. For very thick-walled OTR material, presenting pre-processed sections rather than whole tyres to a shredder is standard practice in well-run shredding operations.

Baling for transport efficiency. Even where the bale is not the final product, baling processed OTR sections before transport to an energy recovery or shredding facility reduces volume and optimises vehicle loads. Baling is a logistics tool as much as it is a recycling output.

Fire Risk and Storage Management

Large OTR tyre stockpiles are one of the more serious fire risks in industrial waste management. The combination of large rubber mass, high surface area from stacked tyres, and the difficulty of accessing fires in deep tyre piles makes OTR tyre fires extremely difficult and expensive to extinguish.

Environmental permits for quarry and civil engineering sites typically specify conditions for tyre storage: designated areas with adequate separation from buildings and fuel stores, access for emergency vehicles, and limits on stored quantities. These conditions exist precisely because of the fire risk.

Active stockpile management, processing and clearing accumulated tyres regularly rather than allowing large stockpiles to build, is the most effective fire risk management measure available. A quarry that clears its OTR tyre accumulation monthly has a fundamentally lower fire risk profile than one that clears annually.

Frequently Asked Questions

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