Recycled rubber pavement repairs itself when it rains

Designed to replace asphalt roads, the rubber pavement creates a putty that fills cracks when exposed to water

Spotted: University student Israel Antonio Briseño Carmona created the Dyson award-winning regenerating rubber pavement.

With a mix of additives and old rubber tires, the new pavement creates a putty that reacts to water. When water hits the road, the putty makes calcium silicates that fill any cracks, producing a constantly self-repairing road.

The recycled rubber pavement design won a James Dyson Award and is in the running to be the international winner. Once the new material is nationally certified, it can be used in construction across the country. 

Using new materials and finding new methods to apply available material are two ways the construction industry is innovating. Springwise spotted a recyclable and biodegradable building made entirely out of cork and an MDF and chipboard replacement that is made from potato peels.