Rubber sidewalks are being tested in three locations around Calgary. The sidewalks give the appearance of stamped concrete without the expense or inevitable cracking associated with real concrete.
The City will monitor this pilot and encourages feeback via 3-1-1 from citizens who use the pathway. It is expected the new sidewalk will direct water into soil which reduces water run-off in storm drains and absorb sound, reducing decibel levels of foot and wheeled traffic.
"The anticipated environmental benefits are that it saves the urban forest by eliminating the need for tree removal due to root issues and because it is made with recycled tires diverts this rubber from landfill sites," says Blanka Bracic a transportation engineer with The City.
The cost for the rubber sidewalk is about the same to construct and install as concrete sidewalks but slightly more expensive than asphalt. The life-cycle cost for the rubber sidewalk should be less than the other two materials.
"Most of the rubber materials are salvageable and can be reused after utility cuts or other repairs," says Bracic.
Currently the sidewalks are in three locations across Calgary:
1. Charleswood Drive, Crowchild Trail to Capri Avenue N.W. - multi-use pathway
2. 85th Avenue at 24th Street S.E. - bus pad
3. Kensington commercial area - sidewalk replacement
The pilot will run through the winter months, if you have any questions or comments please visits calgary.ca/roads or call 3-1-1.
Posts
Sounds like a fantastic idea. Especially for joggers, I'd imagine the impact is lower than concrete.
ReplyDelete"The anticipated environmental benefits are that it saves the urban forest by eliminating the need for tree removal due to root issues..."
ReplyDeleteCan you expand on this claim? How so? In order to get a flat walking surface, wouldn't the roots still need to be removed to accomodate a flat surface? Is the rubber installed as a 'pour-in-place' or pre-cast blocks?
Sounds really cool. Is the rubber made from recycled material, such as old tire rubber?
ReplyDeleteJust wait until spring.....
ReplyDeleteThey will have to redo the sub base....
We are in canada. Freeze thaw. Lift & buckle.Just like it does in the playgrounds.
Is is just me, or does this seam like it would be REALLY slippery and dangerous when wet or icy?
ReplyDeleteAs well likely to be a lot harder to clean dirt / dog remains / etc. off for property owners than the current sidewalks?
I'm wondering how well this will stand up to shovels scraping it after a snowfall. Also, how does rubber direct rainwater to the soil? Is it more absorbent than concrete?
ReplyDeleteWill the rubber be stinky when it warms up? I've walked past gardens that use rubber chips instead of woodchips for mulch and they tend to smell in the summer.
ReplyDeleteThis is from Ed Wong, a Development and Project Management Engineer with Transportation,
ReplyDeleteThe City is monitoring the performance of the recycled rubber product. It is considered durable in all weather conditions and has been tested by the Alberta Research Council. It is considered to be a non-slip surface and can be readily maintained. The City will monitor its performance over the winter.
Please let us know if you have any concerns.
Thank you.
every product has pro's and con's. we must understand each product and especially if these are made from recycled car tires then we must appreciate the city's effort to incorporate a bold and eco friendly step in reducing the carbon footprint and putting to use old tires from landfill to better utility product. this also generates employment and above all it is MADE IN CANADA. BE PROUD. Please look carefully at the sidewalk and you will find a web site address. i looked at it and found it to be the manufacturer. i called and got the key contact person who is coordinating this project. his name is shekhar and for the city it is ed wong. great job guys. we are proud of you. we will make sure we keep good care of this sidewalk as a good citizen.
ReplyDeletewhen we can switch to hybrid cars, car pools, public transportation to reduce pollution why not sidewalk.
As long as it's wide enough, I say go for it. The City has been replacing residential sidewalks in older neighbourhoods, but making them narrower in the process.
ReplyDeleteI work with this product in Ontario. eco-walk has already been in application for over a year in the City of Mississauga, City of Welland, City of Barrie, and the City of Toronto with fantastic results, so yes it has survived the Ontario winter just fine....no cracking!
ReplyDeleteCurrently the City of Mississauga is installing more eco-walk in front of City Hall, where many pedestrians can see it and walk on it first hand.
As far as the tree root situation, tree roots damage concrete and create trip hazards. To repair concrete, it is costly and not very resourceful to replace. With eco-walk, you simply lift the section and trim the tree root that is causing a problem without having to replace the sidewalk as a whole or destroying the tree. Removing the entire tree and replacing a cracked concrete sidewalk is too costly to budgets and the environment.
Eco-walk is not a pour in place product, there are also eco-flex tiles that are also made in 12 sq ft large format interlocking tile that have been used for walkways and larger surface areas such as the celebration site for LiveNation Canada during the winter olympics.
It is not slippery when wet, concrete is more porous so ice can stick to it easier. The best part...try falling on it, you are less likely to break anything! The rubber doesn't smell like the volcanized product does.
John Aditajs heads the Ontario office and you can go to the website to contact him also if you have any questions about the sidewalks currently in place.
I am also curious about how this product helps with stormwater. Is it pourous?
ReplyDeleteTo The City Dept:
ReplyDeleteCan you please put some kind of a reflective tape in the middle so that it gives a better visibility at night especially during winter or icy conditions.
I am a research associate with the univ of calgary working on environmental studies and been monitoring these sidewalks as i walk on these every day to go to univ. i have found so many pedestrians and joggers using it amd have interviewed them and they all have felt new bounce and comfort in these new surfaces. Also seniors who walk upto the bus stand found it very comfortable. keep up the good work city.
i will post my studies from time to time.
i agree when we are thinking about hybrid cars and car pools to save environment why not old discarded tires. same as old plastics and other recycle materials. same goes with tires.
The surface doesn't look flush. I can imagine it might be extremely frustrating if the snow shovel keeps catching on a raised tile. And will this get worse with time?
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI.
ReplyDeleteBlanka Bracic, a transportation engineer with The City of Calgary, will be here on Wednesday, November 3 at 10:30 a.m. (Mountain Time) to answer your questions about the Rubber Sidewalk pilot program.
http://www.calgarycitynews.com/2010/11/blanka-bracic-transportation-engineer.html
Thanks!
Alex:
ReplyDeleteI have similar tiles installed in my back yard and in my neighbourhood in calgary for the last 8 years and we have been removing snow and has not damaged it so far.
it how we take care of our property or city's. we all are responsible citizens.
people have damaged concrete surfaces with snow shovels. does that mean that we cannot use concrete.
the best way i have learnt over the years is to incline the shovel little more and take out the top layer of the snow first and then slowly take out the remaining with ease. this way you will stress yourself less. i have even used ice breakers and have cracked the layer of ice beneath the snow without causing any damage to the tile.
one of my neighbour has stamped concrete driveway with design on it. he spends double the time removing snow. because he had paid a fortune to get his drive way built and wants to keep it nice and crack free.
hope i am not being rude. it is just that i being a senior like the surface and feel comfortable walking on it which i donot get on hard surfaces. and doesnot want the city to be discouraged in using this product in other areas in the future.
Our city has done it in a big way and if need be we will take this to city council for further discussions to implement in future.
I live by Chatham Place and we were wondering if the rubber walkway opp the school from 24 st is going to continue to our side also. If it is then we would like to extend our thanks to the city for considering good alternative and also taking care of our seniors some of them find it hard to walk on concrete or brick surfaces.
ReplyDeleteWe want the city to lay these mats in our parks also and trails where we go for walks.
I along with a Dr. friend looked at this mats very closely and he was complimenting that the surface provided a much better absorbing capability which will help people to walk more with less or no discomfort. Thus enabling more walks and a healthy life style.
Please look into our request of extending the sidewalk project into our neighbourhood and also in those areas where sidewalks are in bad shape.
I want to thank the City for installing a comfortable bus stand / pad at 85ave //24 st. i live in the neighbourhood and had to walk long distance to catch a bus every day. But now with the new bus stand close to my home we are saving time and after couple of days i felt i was on a different surface until i looked at the surface closely. When i looked at the web site and found out more about the product and plus after the news coverage i felt very grateful to the city for thinking green and using up all the discarded tires and putting them to good use.
ReplyDeleteLast week when it snowed and i walked on it it was nice and the ice melted immediately. when you stand on top of it with either ice or snow under it you donot feel the cold going thru your shoes. maybe it is some kind of technology or the product is such that.
Once again thank you city and congratulations calgary!!!!!!!!Our community is talking about it. we wish we could also get some sidewalks installed as in charleswood drive area........
This is from Ed Wong, Development & Project Management Engineer,in response to the questions and comments.
ReplyDelete1) According to the supplier, there is no off-gassing or degassing from the rubber pathway. All degassing happens when the tires are crushed into crumbs and mix with urethane to bind them. The VOC level of the product was tested by the Alberta Research Council and is found well below the permissible level for human interaction.
2) The City/Contractor is new to the product and it takes some time to familiarize ourselves with the installation process. The contractor has other improvements to complete as well in the community and the schedule needs to be adjusted to be cost effective. The unusual high number of wet weather this summer also contributed to the delay in most of the construction projects this year.
3) At this time, no reflective tape or centerline is planned to be installed on the pathway. The pattern and the seam between the mats form a natural centreline. The City will continue to monitor the situation and will add the centerline if needed.
4) The rubber matting is not permeable and therefore water runoff should be the same as concrete sidewalk of asphalt pathway.
5) According to the supplier, testing was done by Alberta Research Council and the rubber material doesn’t react to calcium chloride and mag chloride. People have been using OTC products and cities have been using salts and other de icing products and did not report any damage or change to the product.
Thanks!
Hi Anonymous from Nov. 5,
ReplyDeleteHere is a response from Blanka Bracic.
Thank you for your comments. The remainder of the recycled rubber multi-use pathway will be installed this month on the east side of Charleswood Drive from 24th Street NW to Capri Avenue. By the end of November, the recycled rubber multi-use pathway will be completed from Morley Trail to Capri Avenue NW. No further installation of the recycled rubber material is planned for the Brentwood/Charleswood area in the near future.
As you know, The City is pilot testing the recycled rubber material for sidewalks, a bus stop, and a multi-use pathway. After the pilot project, the Transportation Department will decide if the recycled rubber material is appropriate for broader use in Calgary. The Parks Department is also following the pilot project closely to determine how the recycled rubber material might be used on multi-use pathways in parks.
I understand that but also consider that when you are trying this product also keep in mind the comfort and ease which is being provided to so many residents especially old and elderly and also for us joggers and cyclist who love this surface and donot get time to go to the park in the morning before we go to our work.
ReplyDeleteThis long stretch helps us to keep in shape and also for people to walk longer because one doesnot get tired or experience pain.
As a tax payer i am happy at what city of calgary is doing and it also makes me proud that my old car tires are being used in a more appropriate manner than filling our land fills.
I recently visited vancouver and found out from a friend that even city of vancouver had installed the same sidewalk in residential area and had visited the area and was very pleased. did talk to few people who were walking on it and we shared the same feelings.
I have taken a sample piece (very small) which was thrown away for testing. I along with few research collegues are going to do some test on all the things that have been said by the supplier and will see if all this is true. We will post our finiding within a week.
Great work city and please consider this for other areas also.
I would like to contact the person from the manufacturer and would like to meet with them near our locality and discuss few technical things.
Hi Anonymous, Nov. 9, 9:41 a.m.
ReplyDeleteOur Transportation Planning team would like to encourage you to call 3-1-1. This will create what we at The City call a 'Service Request.'We can then put you in contact with a supplier.
Thanks for taking such a keen interest.
get a better installers next time if you are planning to install in other locations. such a shabby work in front of my house. we have been watching them the whole day simply standing there and smoking. there are better ways to handle these things. now i understand why our sidewalks are cracking. the concrete work is shabby because there is no focus and committment to work.
ReplyDeleteOur money is getting wasted to these contractors. i have never seen so many people installing one block of rubber material.
City officials please supervise these work closely. today after they installed i went and inspected there are gaps and the mats are not even been installed properly. it is still uneven surface.
sheer waste of time and money.
I looked at the same mats near the church and the pathway leading to the school. those have settled very well and is so much more comfortable to walk on. but on our side it is so uneven.
please look into it.
Thanks
i visited some friends near charleswood drive and then we all went for a walk. i walked on these new rubber sidewalks for the first time in my life (68 years)and even with snow and ice on it i didnot feel slippery or hard to walk on it. i wish you had thought of it earlier. but better late than never.
ReplyDeletei live in country hill blvd and if we can have these sidewalks in our neighbourhood it will be a great add on value to our locality plus there are large number of seniors living in the neighbourhood who can take advantage of this and can go for long walks without the fear of fatigue and stress or even falling. this is a very comfortable surface to walk on and doesnot exert pressure on the body.
please consider this for future application.
regards
I agree totally. Atlast the city is moving in the right direction. I recently attented a green build conference in Chicago and during one of the session our city was mentioned by a media person and it was acknowledged by everyone that going green like this is the right step in this global environment consciousness.
ReplyDeleteI was very proud of the city and being canada's biggest project as informed by the Alberta Govt booth official. I even saw the company details displayed in the Govt of Alberta booth.
Good work as our Govt is also backing such projects.
Way to go city.
Thanks for clearing the snow on the sidewalk near the school. We went for a jog and the surface was absolutely fine non slip and above all felt like on the race track.
ReplyDeleteCan you please clear the snow beyond the school section till the end of the sidewalk so that we can continue to jog and walk.
I agree with Tatiana (the first blogger) the impact is very low as compared to concrete or any other surface. We save a lot of time now that we donot have to go to a speacial area to jog and with these surfaces you don't get tired and feel fresh which i what we have been experiencing for the last few weeks. the surface is also very even and didnot feel any disturbances in my rhythm.
Once again thank you city for being kind to us. Hope you will extend this to other parts of the city.
I recommend you do it near all the schools and downtown so that during lunch break everyone can go for a nice tireless walk. This way we all can lead a healthy life style.
regards
First of all let me congratulate the citizens of Calgary city and city officials who thought about and put it into actual use. I have been a open spokesperson about this for last 20 years to various govt's and to see it finally getting implemented in my lifetime makes me feel very proud.
ReplyDeleteI am a soil conservationist and research scientist. I have been studying soil & landfills in variuos cities and countries for the last 40 years. Ever since developments have taken place we have dumped so much under our land especially tires without knowing the consequences it will have in next 50 years.
some of the key findings are - breeding ground for mosquito colony(100's of varieties), rodents, insects(in 000's) etc that fly and crawl long way to reach our lives within a day and can impact our lives with serious consequences. Also remember the fire hazard from some stray incident. Because rubber retains moisture and yes it solves root issues majorly as some had pointed out in the begining of this blog. they retain moisture for long time hence the roots donot have to come to the surface to get moisture thus the breakage of sidewalks or walkways are minimised. we had tested this concept way back in 90's in various labs and it has proved us right.
any extra money spent in getting rid or minimising the haelth hazard arising out of these insects,mosquitos etc., is a welcome call for all of us. Yes initially we have to accept some drastic change or else spend more money on more chemicals to overcome this problem.
also remember the particulate materials coming out of asphalt, cement and concrete combined with CO2, VOC, CO, NOx etc which are causing havoc in our lives.
Lets applaud the city and not criticise them for the good they are doing. This way we encourage positive approach rather than negating every approach to minimise the environmental impact.
Great work and please do these in our residential neighbourhood and schools and colleges so that our children can learn and see the practical aspect of alternatives to reduce pollution.
thanks
Have great day!