Rubber in the Road
The pedestrians of Gardena, California have a little more spring in their step these days, and it has nothing to do with lighter wallets. Gardena’s new rubber sidewalks are making the town more foot friendly.
City trees prefer rubber sidewalks over the more traditional concrete paths because of rubber’s permeability and flexibility. Rainwater passes right through the rubber to the roots below. When those roots grow, the sidewalk won’t buckle and crack the way concrete does. Fewer cracks mean less maintenance.
Tripping and falling over a broken chunk of concrete is embarrassing, painful and can lead to serious injuries. Rubber doesn’t split as easily and is more forgiving when fallen on. Failure to properly maintain concrete walkways can expose municipalities to expensive negligence lawsuits
Giant car tire graveyards present a particularly worrisome environmental hazard in that they can catch fire and literally burn for months. Now private companies are purchasing the old tires, chopping them up and reselling the shredded output as landscaping material.
In Saskatchewan, Canada, the government is collecting over 100,000 used tires for use in resurfacing the highways. Crumb rubber asphalt pavement provides the public with many of the same benefits as rubber sidewalks.
It isn’t difficult to imagine the possibilities for recycled tires. Shredded rubber products make great ground cover for recreational areas. Hard surfaced products covered by rubber will absorb a bump without causing a bruise. Rubber in flooring products helps to alleviate foot pain. Rubber in building materials makes structures more flexible and less vulnerable to collapse under stress.
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