Sounds like they are part of a pilot project to see how they stand up to our climate. Seems like a good idea to me...
Quote:
The rubber sidewalks cost about the same as concrete ones, but because they don't crack, they should be less expensive to maintain, Bracic said.
It is expected the new red-tinted sidewalk — which has the appearance of stamped concrete — will direct water into the soil, reducing run-off in storm drains. The rubber also absorbs sound, making streets quieter, the city said.
They're still quite hard of course, but in terms of impact you feel on your feet when jogging let's say, you'll notice a difference compared to concrete.
Oh yeah, they are definitely softer on impacts. I just mean that it's not like they're going to suck up and swallow your shovel (stop laughing, pervs). Especially in winter, anyone who's left for work in the morning with square tires knows how supple tire rubber is in January.
I would guess that they're quite grippy for bike paths too.
As an aside, has anyone else driven the highway between Houston and Galveston? There's a stretch that I think is rubber, it's quite weird, you're driving along and all of the sudden there's no road noise.
We'll see what happens. I'm not confident they'll work out. It's not that it doesn't crack, but in warm weather, the cracks have the ability to seal themselves up. That's why this stuff works in warmer climates like SoCal. But with the severe weather swings here, they may not work out, since in the winter the rubber asphalt goes brittle, and the cracks can become more severe. Maybe with pedestrian loads it'll still be okay, but I know they've done some test runs on Alberta highways, and they generally crap out really badly after a year or two.
We'll see what happens. I'm not confident they'll work out. It's not that it doesn't crack, but in warm weather, the cracks have the ability to seal themselves up. That's why this stuff works in warmer climates like SoCal. But with the severe weather swings here, they may not work out, since in the winter the rubber asphalt goes brittle, and the cracks can become more severe. Maybe with pedestrian loads it'll still be okay, but I know they've done some test runs on Alberta highways, and they generally crap out really badly after a year or two.
I think they did a test patch of rubber paving on Crowchild. When it was new it was neat. Eerily quiet.
