Scrap tires in San Bernardo, Tijuana

Conference:  USP 187 Expo, winter quarter 2010

Key findings:  In this research I discovered two major findings. The first has to do with the level of impact tires have on the structural environment. I found that tires are good to use for structural support of walls, however, they have to be very sturdy in order to hold when there are landslides or it rains. Therefore, since it rains a lot in TJ, using tires as support for walls is not very safe. Typically researchers view tires as polluting the environment. I found that tires do not pollute the environment in terms of immediately releasing toxins into the air, however, they do create problems for natural life; for example, they clog rivers and form breading nests for mosquitoes. Furthermore, when tires are exposed under the sun for too long, they decompose faster and lead to more natural problems. For example, when scrap tires discompose, the small rubber parts end up in the water which humans and animals use to survive. Despite these negatives, I found that tires can be creatively used to reproduce elements of nature such as grass and soil by making pots out of tires. Since, the people in the community of San Bernardo face economic challenges and can not afford materials to build a proper infrastructure, using tires creatively is their primary resort.