California City Looks at Recycled Rubber Sidewalks
Redlands, Ca, February 7-- Rubbersidewalks Inc. uses rubber recycled from California tires to create a durable paver to replace concrete sidewalks.
More than 20 cities that have encountered the chronic problem of buckling sidewalks caused by invasive tree roots now use rubberized sidewalks, according to the San Bernardino Sun.
Redlands could become the next city and San Bernardino County's first to test them.
Concrete sidewalks crack as tree roots force their way to the surface in search of water. If the uplifted concrete is not repaired or replaced, cities can be vulnerable to trip-and-fall lawsuits. In some places, the trees have been removed.
"By using Rubbersidewalks, a city can basically have their trees and have their sidewalks, too," said Lindsay Smith, chief executive officer and president of the Gardena-based company. Rubbersidewalks has been in business since 2001.
The pavers can be lifted for tree-root trimming and maintenance. Underneath, tree roots are not as aggressive because air and water easily reach the soil below and the offshoots grow more slowly, the company says.
Pedestrians won't feel a difference when walking on the rubberized sidewalks but the clickety-clack of footsteps is quieter.
"No one has really noticed where we placed sections of rubber sidewalk," said Jerry Mendoza, Riverside's street maintenance supervisor for the concrete crew.
Santa Monica Senior Public Works Inspector Richard Valeriano has repaired and replaced sidewalks only to find them broken a few years later. Then one night, he said, he had a "dream of sidewalks bending."
But it wasn't until he saw rubber tiles being installed as sports flooring at his gym that he started working on developing a modular sidewalk that could be removed easily.
Soon after, Santa Monica tried out the product in city yards in 1998 and on public sidewalks in 2000.
Redlands City Council members thought it was worth exploring.
"It's an alternative as a city we need to look at," said Councilman Jon Harrison.
Councilwoman Pat Gilbreath said, "I'm always willing to look at any product that might help maintenance and as long as it was attractive."
The initial cost of Rubbersidewalks pavers is one-third more than concrete, Smith said. The pavers are reversible and have a life of at least seven years on each side.
Concrete can cost $10 per square foot compared with the cost of installing the pavers at $14 per square foot, she said. The standard city size of a paver is five square feet.
The cost of the pavers should also be weighed against the cost of future sidewalk repair and replacement, the loss of a tree and potential lawsuits, she said.
But Redlands Public Works Director Ron Mutter isn't convinced yet the product is right for the city. He noted there would be an ongoing labor cost to regularly check and trim the roots.
