Don't Bother With Gravel Driveways — This Recycled Material Is Sturdier

Are you wanting to put in a driveway but have a strict budget that you need to stick to? During your search for the best material to use, you may have decided that a gravel driveway is going to give you what you need at a price you can afford. However, you may not have factored in the cost of maintaining a gravel driveway, which could increase your initial evaluation considerably. On the flip side, there's a recycled material you might not have come across that is actually far sturdier than gravel and requires much less upkeep, perhaps making it a wiser investment to begin with. It's known as steel fiber-reinforced concrete, and you can save some money if you opt for the use of recycled fibers. With the future cost savings in mind, you might even be able to splurge a little and give your driveway an elevated look by adding a mix of materials.

Recycled steel fiber-reinforced concrete uses steel fibers from end-of-life tires (ELTs) to reinforce the concrete instead of rebar. Not only does this use a resource that might otherwise become a waste product, but it also provides a concrete driveway that's highly durable and not particularly prone to cracking. Of course, once laid, a concrete driveway is going to stay put and provide a nice, solid drivable surface, unlike gravel.

Like in other industries, the construction sector has been working on ways to be more sustainable and has considered using recycled aggregate instead of natural stone in concrete mixes. While this is environmentally considerate, it does reduce the durability and strength of the resultant concrete, but this can be mitigated with the use of high-tensile steel wire fibers that are removed from ELTs. Essentially, this improves the strength and performance of the concrete considerably. Another benefit of using these recycled fibers is that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions that would have resulted from the production of new steel quite significantly.

A driveway made with fiber-reinforced concrete that uses recycled tire steel fibers is said to have good crack resistance and enhanced tensile strength. This is due to the fact that the steel fibers are actually incorporated in the concrete mix before it is poured onto the driveway. The inclusion of the steel fibers eliminates or reduces the amount of steel reinforcing materials needed under the concrete. The slab is better able to handle harsh weather conditions and is less likely to expand or shrink, resulting in much fewer maintenance requirements. And with the average lifespan of a concrete driveway being around 25 to 40 years, the less maintenance you need to do, the better. This contrasts with a gravel driveway, which typically lasts just 10 to 15 years before needing major repairs. Now that the main driveway material is sorted, you might also be interested in the budget-friendly driveway edging idea of using wood chips.