A systematic bibliometric review analysis of research on the use of waste rubber tyres in building and construction materials and their applications

Abstract

This systematic bibliometric review, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA methodology, examines the literature on waste rubber tyres (WRTs) and their applications, measuring correlations between several standard metrics and identifying gaps that may stimulate new research. Using a thirty-year database from Scopus, both numerical and graphical results highlight key aspects, including geographic distribution, journal analysis, keywords, and three main research categories: environment, application, and property. Publications have grown exponentially at a rate of 17% per year. Research is concentrated in India and China, with Africa and Central America lagging behind. The United States leads in impact, while publication volume correlates moderately with gross domestic product (GDP), but negatively with international collaboration. Notably, several leading countries in automobile and tyre production have a limited academic presence in WRT research. The most prominent studies focus on material development; however, there remains a lack of practical applications for these materials. Recent trends show growing interest in WRTs within engineering, materials science, and environmental science, with multidisciplinary approaches emerging. A keyword analysis indicates a steady evolution in end-of-life tyres (ELT) research over recent years. In environmental studies, interest in ELT recycling methods has grown, though aspects such as toxicity, life cycle analysis, and leaching remain relatively unexplored. In terms of applications, research is primarily focused on pavements, while areas such as facades, blocks, and roofs remain under-studied. Finally, in material property studies, most research addresses compressive strength, while critical areas such as fire resistance, impact resistance, and thermal testing offer promising avenues for future research.

This paper is part of the research group GICITED (Interdisciplinary Group on Building Science and Technology), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)—BarcelonaTech, which has received a quality accreditation (2021 SGR 01405) from the Generalitat de Catalunya, as well as funding from the Instituto para la Formación y Aprovechamiento de Recursos Humanos (IFARHU), Panama. The authors would like to thank the project Waste-based Intelligent Solar-control devices for Envelope Refurbishment (WISER), reference TED2021-130155B-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR. We are also grateful to Ankita K. and Edin T. for their insightful comments and suggestions. Additionally, we gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Universidad de Panamá through the “Relevo Generacional” scholarship, granted by the Faculty of Architecture and Design, as well as funding from Instituto para la Formación y Aprovechamiento de Recursos Humanos (IFARHU), Panama.

Peer Reviewed

Postprint (published version)