Bouncy rubber sidewalk may foil beer keg damage

[August 19, 2008]  AMES, Iowa (AP) -- A sidewalk project means there may be a little bounce to the beer kegs instead of dings in the pavement when delivery trucks unload.

The city is installing a rubber sidewalk at a spot near the Iowa State University campus where beer distributors unload hundreds of kegs from trucks for bars in the area.

All those heavy kegs hitting the ground have been cracking the concrete pavement.

So now city officials have decided to install sidewalk pavers that a California company makes using shredded recycled tires instead of concrete.

The city tested the product. "The streets supervisor took a sledgehammer to it," said Corey Mellies, a civil engineer for the city. It didn't even dent.

The project also has an environmental plus -- the sidewalk is using up about 675 tires that otherwise would end up in a landfill.

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Information from: The Tribune, http://www.amestrib.com/

[Associated Press]

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