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De Communautique.

The Ever-present Grit Bins

Salt bins also known as salt bins are a kind of street furniture that are usually used in places where freezing temperatures and snowfall are common. These hardy and sturdy receptacles hold a mixture of salt and grit that is spread over roadways and sidewalks once snow has covered them and rendered them unsafe.

Two things happen when the grit bins spread the mixture on the snow covered pavement. First, ice is turned into liquid with the help of the salt portion of the mixture which lowers the melting point of the snow. This is a chemical process where the sodium chloride absorbs ambient heat allowing the sunshine, no matter how little, to melt the ice and snow. The second action is physical change, where the grit provides traction because of the wet and icy result of the chemical change. Grit often is a mixture of woodchips, sand, and pebbles to provide tires and under soles the traction to prevent slipping during the travel over the road and the sidewalks.

This process is a much better option as compared to having trucks and bulldozers clearing snow off the road or shoveling snow from the pathways. Snow trucks, for one, are very expensive and requires high maintenance. However, Grit Bins are easy on the budget and low maintenance as well. Accidents are very common when driving on snow covered roads with the wheels usually spinning out of control. Passersby may also slip and get injured whenever they cross on snow covered sidewalks.

Grit bins, however, are only the containers which hold the salt and grit mixture. The salt-grit mixture is supplied by the local councils during their delivery runs. The act of spreading the mixture on the roadways and sidewalks is another issue. The local council can do the grit spreading service on their own or they can also request the local townsfolk to help. The last option will require communities to shovel in spread the grit mixture in certain parts of their neighborhoods in shifting schedules.

The first grit bin designs were brittle and easily lost their effectivity because they are made of stone and concrete. As a result, the later designs were then built out of polyurethane plastic material. These grit bins still suffered from damage and destruction but it is because of the people vandalizing them and not due to weather causes. Other issues regarding the maintenance of grit bins include leaving the lid open, as this allows moisture and rainwater to melt the salt leaving the mixture unusable and tipping the bin over and spilling the contents, causing the mixture carelessly spread out on the roadway.

These information prove that Salt bins play a huge role in communities that often experience extreme weather conditions. They are containers that store the salt-grit mixture which keep our roads and sidewalks safe.