Rubber sidewalk may foil keg dings

AMES, Iowa -- Ames is installing a rubber sidewalk at a spot near the Iowa State University campus where beer distributors unload kegs from trucks for bars in the area.

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

So 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.