Posted on 11/20/2006 7:20:43 PM PST by jonesboheim
From recycling electronics to shredding sensitive documents, now recycling old tires can become easily maintained sidewalks.
Sixty-five cities are reducing the number of old tires dumped in landfills. Companies shred them, bake the fine particles and the use the material for sidewalks.
These interlocking panels have cracks between them to allow water and air to reach tree roots, which delays the upward thrust of the roots. When the roots do rise, the panels will not break, making repair easier.
The cost of the rubber sidewalks is three times more than concrete, but in the long run it is less expensive because you spend less time repairing.
um....the wizard of oz kind?
Big Rubber makes condoms, I think. Tires are made of plastic and steel.
We too have some in a playground area outside a movie theater. It has weathered several Colorado winters and long summers exposed to harsh sunlight at 6500 ft or so. Cool colors too. ;-)
That would be the curb. :-)
Unless you're a skateboarder? I'll bet this ends the use of skateboards or anything else will small wheels on the sidewalk. The smaller wheels may press in and get more drag?
I'm glad to hear it - I'd like it to work out here too. Personally I grew up with gravel in the playground and except for a few skinned knees, chipped teeth, broken bones...oh, all right, rubber it is.
Just in some of the play grounds where the Arizona sun makes the stuff had as a rock and then it cracks and turns to powder.
It might be OK in cold places but it won't last long in AZ before it starts to breakdown and leave a black dust on everything.
Our school has some rubber mats under all the playground areas and they are all rock hard after a few years in the sun. 4" of sand is a better idea there.
They just started to use rubberized asphalt on the freeways and it has worked well so far. I thought it would melt the first year in the heat but it's OK for about 4 years so far. It's also a lot quieter than cement.
I checked out links on post #21. This is an interesting concept, albeit alot more expensive than concrete. It takes care of the issue of millions of old tires which end up in landfills every year. If the price comes down, I'd have to side with the green-weenies on this one.
LOL..... and red, blue, green....
Sounds like another dogooder recycling boondoggle--they cost three times more than concrete, but you get it back in the long run? Yeah, right....
Concrete is our friend.
I am reminded of an old Red Skelton comedy routine where he is peddling concrete tires (they never go flat). When asked about cracking from driving on pavement, his solution is "the rubber road".
My alma mater (the Gamecocks) played the Trojans back in the '80s. The signs in the stadium were quite, shall we say, interesting.
Tell it to Jimmy Hoffa...
:-)
If they're like the recycled rubber railroad tie replacements, they are *far* from light.
Would you know what type of trees these are?
Does this mean people will stop jogging in the street where they don't belong?
I used pea stone which works very well. It's a lot cheaper. I wouldn't want to have to dispose of rubber mulch.
They can't get stolen because they are glued down with some great adhesive. I work for an adhesive manufacturer and we developed a special adhesive for these pads. Knew about gym floors and playgrounds, but not about sidewalks.
When I was at Stanford, there wer big signs in the stadium. "We've got rhythm. Who needs Trojans?" LOL
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