Sidewalk

Construction

Contemporary sidewalks are most often made of concrete in North America, while tarmac, asphalt, brick, stone, slab and (increasingly) rubber are more common in Europe. Different materials are more or less friendly environmentally: pumice-based trass, for example, when used as an extender is less energy-intensive than Portland cement concrete or petroleum-based materials such as asphalt or tar-penetration macadam. Multi-use paths alongside roads are sometimes made of materials that are softer than concrete, such as asphalt.

Some sidewalks may be built like a Meandering Sidewalk. The meandering sidewalk is the wavy sidewalk that veers back and forth at the side of the road, no matter how straight the street. These sidewalks are common in North America and are used to break up the monotonous alignments of city blocks.

Wood

In the 19th century and early 20th century, sidewalks of wood were common in some North American locations. They may still be found at historic beach locations and in conservation areas to protect the land beneath and around, called boardwalks.

Brick

Brick sidewalks are found in some urban areas, usually for aesthetic purposes. Brick sidewalks are generally consolidated with brick hammers, rollers, and sometimes motorized vibrators.

File:Brick sidewalk, EDS, Cambridge.jpg|Cambridge, Massachusetts File:Yeonamyulgeum-ro Sidewalk in Cheonan City 20270720.jpg|Cheonan, South Korea File:Verbanden.png|Four tessellations used in laying

Stone

Stone slabs called flagstones or flags are sometimes used where an attractive appearance is required, as in historic town centers.

For example, in Melbourne, Australia, bluestone has been used to pave the sidewalks of the CBD since the Gold rush in the 1850s because it proved to be stronger, more plentiful and easier to work than most other available materials.

Stone and concrete pavers

Pre-cast concrete pavers are used for sidewalks, often colored or textured to resemble stone. Sometimes cobblestones are used, though they are generally considered too uneven for comfortable walking.

Concrete

In the United States and Canada, the most common type of sidewalk consists of a poured concrete "ribbon", examples of which from as early as the 1860s can be found in good repair in San Francisco, and stamped with the name of the contractor and date of installation. When Portland cement was first imported to the United States in the 1880s, its principal use was in the construction of sidewalks.

Today, most sidewalk ribbons are constructed with cross-lying strain-relief grooves placed or sawn at regular intervals, typically 5 ft apart. This partitioning, an improvement over the continuous slab ribbon, was patented in 1924 by Arthur Wesley Hall and William Alexander McVay, who wished to minimize damage to the concrete from the effects of tectonic and temperature fluctuations, both of which can crack longer segments. The technique is not perfect, as freeze-thaw cycles (in cold-winter regions) and tree root growth can eventually result in damage which requires repair.

In highly variable climates which undergo multiple freeze-thaw cycles, concrete blocks will be formed with separations, called expansion joints, to allow for thermal expansion without breakage. The use of expansion joints in sidewalks may not be necessary, as the concrete will shrink while setting.

Tarmac and asphalt

In the United Kingdom, Australia and France suburban sidewalks are also constructed of tarmac. In urban or inner-city areas sidewalks are most commonly constructed of slabs, stone, or brick depending upon the surrounding street architecture and furniture.

Gallery

File:Jalan MH Thamrin Menteng, Jakarta Pusat.jpg|Sidewalk with Tactile paving in Jalan M.H. Thamrin, Jakarta, Indonesia File:Ptpavement4.jpg|Sidewalk next to Paulista Avenue tiled with Portuguese pavement, in São Paulo, Brazil File:Kutná hora cobblestones3.jpg|Old sidewalk with granite curb in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic File:Sidewalk in March (12975257203).jpg|Sidewalk in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada cleared after a snowfall File:Speightstown 007.jpg|Sidewalk market, Speightstown, Barbados File:Moscow, Kozitsky Lane.jpg|Overspill parking on the sidewalk in Moscow, Russia File:Oak Park Boulevard.jpg|Sidewalk with trees in Oak Park, Illinois, US File:Treelawn2.JPG|Sidewalk with a planted rain garden in the "tree lawn" or "road verge" zone File:Green space - tree - sidewalk - omar khayyam planetarium - Nishapur 11.JPG|Sidewalk in Nishapur, Iran near Mausoleum of Omar Khayyam File:Benoni Ekurhuleni.jpg|Sidewalk in Benoni, South Africa File:Union Sq bike parking jeh.JPG|Bicycle parking on a sidewalk File:Dog walking, Hospital Road, Omagh - geograph.org.uk - 1048920.jpg|Sidewalk in Omagh, Northern Ireland, UK File:Montreal, Quebec Sidewalk.jpg|A sidewalk in Montreal, Quebec, Canada File:Sure We Can Earthday clean 2021 1.jpg|Street sweepers clearing a New York sidewalk of dust and dirt using brooms File:Pavement with a bicycle priority lane in Taipei.jpg|Sidewalk with a bicycle priority lane in Taipei, Taiwan File:Cheonggyecheon stream with flowers and bridge at sunrise near Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul.jpg|Pedestrian walkway in Cheonggyecheon, Seoul

References

References

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