Rubberized Sidewalks Accommodate Tree Roots

 

Rubberized sidewalks are being used across the country due to their ability to stretch and bend to accommodate tree roots which damage cement and asphalt sidewalks by cracking and shifting.

Seattle?EUR??,,????'???s South Park neighborhood is testing a 60-foot stretch of rubberized sidewalk that will help accommodate ever-expanding tree roots in the area.

Seattle arborist, Liz Ellis, who works for the city?EUR??,,????'???s transportation department, helped bring the rubberized sidewalks to Seattle after she read an article about the sidewalks being tested in Santa Monica, Calif., where the first rubberized sidewalks were installed in 1998. Currently, there are over 40 cities across the country using rubberized sidewalks.

Each panel of the sidewalk is made with approximately five recycled tires, which allows the sidewalk to stretch in order to accommodate growing tree roots. According to Ellis, the rubberized sidewalks have to be replaced less often and are cheaper to fix than their cement counterparts.

South Park was chosen for the test project because of the number of mature trees with surface roots that are causing damage to the sidewalks. Rubber Sidewalks, Inc. manufactures the panels, which are made using 100 percent recycled crumb rubber and come in a variety of colors. Source: Seattle Post Intelligencer