Barn Flooring Options - part 3

Floor Type #3 - Mechanical Concrete

​Mechanical Concrete® is a process in which the sidewalls of used truck tires are removed, leaving a tread cylinder. The tread cylinder was placed on top of a layer of geotextile fabric (see image). Dense grade aggregate (DGA) was then placed inside and around the tire voids. The goal was to have the top edge of the tire cylinder be at grade level.

Mechanical Concrete is a process by which tread cylinders are used to contain the rock and control lateral stress

The tires were arranged using a straight row pattern as opposed to an offset pattern. This layout resulted in a larger void between the tires compared to the offset pattern. It also required fewer tires. With this option, it appears that it would take a long time before a loader bucket could penetrate the thick edge pattern created by the tread cylinders. The cost difference between a traditional DGA and fabric application versus the Mechanical Concrete® was $772 compared to a traditional filter fabric and rock pad, which would have cost $716. The contribution that the tires provided to the treatment gives the impression that the lifespan of the floor was increased significantly compared to a traditional filter fabric and rock implementation, which is expected to last 10 years with proper maintenance. The addition of the tires cost $56 which seems like a small price to pay for extending the life of the floor by several fold.