Mining operations generate enormous end-of-life tyres from haul trucks, excavators, loaders, and support vehicles. A single Caterpillar 797F haul truck tyre weighs 5,500kg and stands 4 metres tall. These Off-The-Road (OTR) tyres cannot be processed by standard tyre recycling equipment designed for car and truck tyres.
Mine sites face unique challenges: remote locations (limited access to waste processors), large tyre volumes (50-200 OTR tyres plus 500-1,000 light vehicle tyres annually at typical surface mine), size and weight (individual tyres weighing 1,000-6,000kg), steel content (40-50% by weight in large OTR tyres), and environmental obligations (mining permits require waste management plans).
Improper tyre management creates problems: stockpiles occupying productive land, fire risks (tyre fires at mine sites catastrophic), environmental violations (regulatory penalties, permit conditions), and lost value (tyres have recovery value if properly processed).
This guide explains OTR tyre characteristics, processing options for mine sites, equipment requirements, logistics considerations, and cost-effective waste management strategies.
Gradeall International manufactures tyre processing equipment including specialized OTR cutting systems. We’ve supplied mining operations globally over nearly 40 years.
Haul truck tyres (ultra-class and large mining trucks):
These are the largest tyres on site and most challenging to process. Cannot be moved without specialized equipment.
Rigid dump truck tyres (articulated and rigid haulers):
More numerous than ultra-class but individually smaller. Still require specialized handling.
Loader and excavator tyres:
Light vehicle fleet tyres (support vehicles, utilities, personnel):
These can be processed using standard truck tyre equipment if volumes justify on-site processing.
Off-site disposal (most common):
Tyres transported to specialized processors for cutting, shredding, or recovery.
Logistics:
Processing costs:
Annual cost (typical surface mine, 60 OTR tyres + 800 light fleet tyres):
On-site processing:
Install cutting equipment at mine site to reduce tyre volume before transport or enable local disposal.
Equipment options:
Benefits:
Investment consideration: At 60 OTR tyres annually, off-site disposal costs £83,000-£99,000. On-site equipment costs £120,000-£250,000 capital plus £15,000-£30,000 annual operating costs. Break-even: 2-4 years depending on equipment choice and transport distance.
For mines generating 100+ OTR tyres annually or located over 200km from processors, on-site processing economics improve significantly.
Quartering (sectioning):
Divide tyre into 4-8 pieces using hydraulic shear or cutting equipment.
Process:
Equipment: Hydraulic shear with 200-300 tonne cutting force, articulated arm positioning Cycle time: 15-30 minutes per ultra-class tyre (4 cuts plus positioning) Output: 4 sections per tyre, each 1,000-1,500kg
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Radial cutting (segmenting):
Cut tyre into multiple narrow segments (8-16 pieces) for easier handling.
Equipment: Hydraulic shear or cutting torch Cycle time: 25-45 minutes per ultra-class tyre Output: 8-16 segments, each 300-750kg
Sidewall removal (for medium OTR):
For 1,500-3,000kg OTR tyres (rigid haulers, large loaders), standard sidewall cutting viable.
Equipment: Heavy-duty sidewall cutter (£25,000-£45,000) Cycle time: 3-5 minutes per tyre (both sidewalls) Output: Tread section (60% of weight) + 2 sidewalls (40% of weight)
Cut tyres have multiple uses within mining operations, reducing or eliminating disposal costs.
Erosion control:
Quartered tyre sections placed on slopes prevent soil erosion from rainfall runoff.
Application:
Volume: 10-15 tyre sections per 100 metres of slope Lifespan: 15-25 years before rubber degrades Cost saving: £100-£200 per tyre vs off-site disposal
Regulatory: Check mining permit conditions (some jurisdictions classify this as waste disposal requiring approval)
Drainage material:
Tyre pieces create effective drainage layers in haul roads and access routes.
Volume: 1 tyre per 2-3 square metres of road (300mm depth) Benefit: Reduces haul road maintenance costs £5,000-£15,000 per kilometre annually Lifespan: 10-15 years in drainage application
Blast protection barriers:
Whole or halved tyres create protective barriers around infrastructure.
Volume: 20-40 tyres per 10-metre barrier section Benefit: Protects high-value infrastructure (fuel farms, electrical equipment) Alternative cost: Concrete barriers £300-£500 per metre
Road widening and filling:
Tyres used as void fill for road widening or level areas.
Volume: 50-100 tyres per 100 cubic metres of void fill Benefit: Free fill material (vs purchasing rock or importing soil) Consideration: Not suitable for all ground conditions (requires engineering assessment)
Weighing on-site reuse:
Advantages: Zero disposal cost, productive use of waste material, reduces transport impact Disadvantages: Not all jurisdictions permit on-site reuse (check regulations), eventual degradation creates long-term liability, limits capacity (only reuse 20-40% of generated tyres typically)
Best approach: Combine on-site reuse (where viable) with off-site recycling (for remainder).
Mine sites operate 100-300 light vehicles (pickups, utilities, personnel transport) generating 600-1,200 conventional tyres annually.
Processing options:
On-site baling: If volumes exceed 25,000 tyres annually (considering potential off-site collection from nearby operations), install tyre baler.
Equipment: MKII baler (£50,000-£65,000) Capacity: 80 tyres per hour Output: 900-1,000kg bales suitable for construction market Annual operating cost: £12,000-£18,000
At 1,000 tyres annually:
Compare to off-site disposal:
Baling doesn’t justify investment at 1,000 tyres annually. Break-even around 15,000-20,000 tyres annually.
Consolidation with off-site light fleet operators:
If mine is near other operations (multiple mines in district, industrial estates), consolidate light fleet tyres for shared processing.
Example: 3 mines in 50km radius, 1,000 tyres each = 3,000 tyres aggregated Shared baler: £55,000 cost ÷ 3 = £18,333 per site Operating cost: £5,000-£7,000 per site annually
This shared model makes baling viable at smaller individual volumes.
Standard disposal:
For isolated mines with under 1,500 light fleet tyres annually, standard disposal via contractor most cost-effective.
Mining permit conditions:
Mining permits (issued by minerals authorities) include waste management requirements. Tyres typically addressed under:
Waste management plan: Describe tyre handling, storage, disposal Environmental monitoring: Track tyre quantities, disposal methods, destinations Closure planning: Address tyre stockpiles in mine closure plan
Failure to comply: Permit violations (£20,000-£500,000 penalties), permit suspension (halts operations)
Environmental permits:
If storing over 40 tonnes tyres on site: Environmental permit required (in England/Wales, Environment Agency regulations)
Exemption T9: Under 40 tonnes, free registration Standard permit: 40-1,000 tonnes, £1,650+ application, £1,161+ annual fee Bespoke permit: Over 1,000 tonnes, £13,000+ application
Duty of care:
Transfer tyres only to authorized waste carriers and processors. Obtain waste transfer notes for every movement. Retain records 2 years minimum.
Prosecution for illegal waste transfer: £50,000 unlimited fines, potential imprisonment for systematic violations
On-site reuse approvals:
Using cut tyres for erosion control, drainage, or fill may require:
Consult environmental regulator before implementing on-site reuse programs.
Scenario: Medium surface mine, 60 OTR tyres + 800 light fleet tyres annually
Current off-site disposal:
Option A: On-site OTR cutting (mobile system, £130,000 capital):
Option B: On-site reuse of 30% + off-site remainder:
Option C: Combination (cutting + reuse):
For most mines, combination approach delivers best ROI: Cutting enables both efficient transport and on-site reuse opportunities.
Surface mine (200-truck ultra-class fleet): 30-60 ultra-class haul truck tyres (4,500-6,000kg each), 40-80 rigid dump truck tyres (1,500-3,500kg each), 30-50 loader/excavator tyres (1,200-2,000kg each), 600-1,000 light vehicle fleet tyres (10-35kg each). Total: 100-190 OTR tyres (150-300 tonnes) plus 600-1,000 light fleet tyres (6-10 tonnes). Underground mines generate fewer OTR tyres (smaller vehicles) but similar light fleet volumes.
Transport: £800-£2,000 per load (1-2 tyres per load due to size/weight). Tipping: £200-£400 per tonne (£900-£2,400 per 4,500-6,000kg tyre). Steel recovery credit: £100-£200 per tonne steel (offsets 20-40% of tipping fee). Net cost per tyre: £675-£1,800. Annual disposal cost (50 ultra-class tyres): £33,750-£90,000. Economies improve with volume and distance to processor.
Yes with specialized equipment. Options: Hydraulic shear/cutting system (£120,000-£250,000, cuts into quarters in 15-30 minutes per tyre), mobile cutting rig (£80,000-£150,000, transported to tyre location), cutting torch method (£5,000-£15,000 equipment, 45-90 minutes per tyre, labour intensive). On-site cutting reduces transport costs 60-75% and enables local reuse. Payback: 2-6 years depending on annual volumes and distance to off-site processors.
Erosion control on slopes (10-15 sections per 100m slope, £100-£200 saving per tyre vs disposal), drainage layers in haul roads (1 tyre per 2-3 square metres, reduces road maintenance £5,000-£15,000/km annually), blast protection barriers around infrastructure (20-40 tyres per 10m section), void fill for road widening or platforms (50-100 tyres per 100 cubic metres). Check regulatory permissions before on-site reuse (some jurisdictions restrict). Typically reuse 20-40% of generated tyres; remainder requires off-site recycling.
Steel content: OTR tyres contain 40-50% steel by weight (1,800-2,700kg steel per ultra-class tyre). Clean steel value: £200-£350 per tonne (£360-£945 per ultra-class tyre steel content). Rubber content: Limited commercial value as rubber compound (£30-£80 per tonne vs £80-£200 for car tyre rubber due to contamination and processing difficulty). Net recovery value offsets 20-40% of disposal costs but doesn’t eliminate expense.
Hydraulic shear: 200-300 tonne cutting force, articulated positioning arm, £120,000-£250,000. Mobile cutting system: Self-contained unit transported to tyre, £80,000-£150,000. Cutting torch setup: Oxy-acetylene or plasma cutting equipment, £5,000-£15,000 (labour intensive, 45-90 minutes per tyre). Standard sidewall cutters: Only suitable for tyres under 3,000kg, not ultra-class. For smaller OTR (rigid dump trucks, loaders): Heavy-duty sidewall cutter £25,000-£45,000.
Whole tyres: Ultra-class tyres occupy 8-12 square metres of floor space each (stacked 1-2 high maximum). 50 tyres require 400-600 square metres. Cut tyres (quartered): Each quarter occupies 2-3 square metres, stackable 3-4 high. 50 tyres (200 quarters) require 150-200 square metres (60-70% space saving). Fire safety: 10-20 metre separation from buildings, 6-10 metre separation between piles. Include fire breaks in space calculations: Add 30-50% to calculated area.
Some jurisdictions offer waste minimization grants or circular economy funding. UK: Check WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), Scotland: Zero Waste Scotland grants (40-70% funding for eligible projects). Australia: State-level environment departments sometimes fund resource recovery infrastructure. South Africa: Department of Environmental Affairs occasionally funds waste minimization projects. Most programs require demonstrating environmental benefit, job creation, or circular economy contribution. Equipment must be permanent installation (not easily relocated).
Mining sites generate 150-300 tonnes OTR tyres plus 6-10 tonnes light fleet tyres annually (typical 200-truck surface operation). Off-site disposal costs £80,000-£100,000 annually including transport (£45,000-£60,000) and tipping fees (£35,000-£40,000).
On-site processing reduces costs 20-31% through quartering (75% volume reduction), on-site reuse (erosion control, drainage, blast barriers), and reduced transport frequency. Equipment investment (£80,000-£250,000) pays back within 2-7 years depending on annual volumes and location.
Regulatory compliance requires waste management plans (mining permit conditions), environmental permits (if storing over 40 tonnes), duty of care (licensed carriers/processors only), and potentially approvals for on-site reuse programs.
For mines generating 100+ OTR tyres annually or located over 200km from processors, on-site processing economics are compelling. Smaller operations or mines near processors continue with off-site disposal supplemented by opportunistic on-site reuse where viable.
Contact Gradeall to discuss tyre processing solutions for mining operations. We supply cutting equipment and advise on cost-effective waste management strategies for remote mining sites.
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