Keg-Worn Sidewalk Gets Tired Out

Any BeerAdvocate worth his or her malt knows that too much beer is a bad thing, and in Ames, Iowa, the proof was in the concrete—until some savvy city engineers recently put the rubber to the sidewalk.

A stretch of sidewalk in an area of town called Campustown, near Iowa State University, was showing the signs of age more quickly than others. City workers determined that the accelerated cracks were coming from kegs being tossed from trucks onto the sidewalk as beer distributors unloaded their goods for the numerous bars around the area.

“The issues we were seeing were cracking starting from what looked like crescent-shaped marks in the concrete,” says Corey Mellies, a civil engineer with the city of Ames. “This was from the kegs unloading and hitting the concrete. The cracking was getting worse and there was concern with the safety of the sidewalk.”

Because of a lack of docking space, moving the kegs to another area within Campustown was not an option. And city workers knew simply replacing the stretch of concrete would mean more of the same a few years later. Looking for a flexible solution, the city sprung on the concept of rubber sidewalks.

Originally designed to prevent sidewalk-cracking caused by tree roots, the material, created by California-based company Rubbersidewalks Inc., is made from shredded old tires. Because it is flexible and has some bounce to it, Ames engineers thought the substance could be the ideal option to prevent that stretch of sidewalk from reaching its cracking point so quickly.

Mellies says that Rubbersidewalks offered prefabricated squares that had a similar texture and color to the rest of Campustown’s sidewalks, which would maintain a consistent appearance throughout the area. The only perceivable difference—besides a crack-free façade—is the new sound the kegs make when they land.

“People working at the [nearby] fire station have reported that they hear a ‘thud’ during unloading, but we have not heard any complaints [about the sidewalk] to this point,” Mellies says.

There probably were a few grumblings about the price tag, however, which, at about $127 per square-yard, is more than double the cost of regular concrete. But Mellies says the price should be offset over the long term because workers won’t have to repair and replace the kegs’ landing area as frequently.

The other benefit comes to distributors and brewers who are finding their kegs aren’t seeing as much damage. Apparently, the idea is now being bounced around in other parts of the country.

“I received a call from a distributor in Phoenix who was looking to prevent damage to the kegs that was caused at their facility. He thought the rubber sidewalk could work for him,” Mellies says.

But perhaps the most benefit is to Mother Earth herself. Just to make the stretch of sidewalk in Campustown, a landfill was spared the dumping of about 675 tires. And that’s enough to put a bounce in anybody’s step. ■