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The Ever-present Grit Bin

Grit Bins or salt bins are a type of street furniture that is often found in countries where snowfall and freezing temperatures are prevalent. These containers hold salt and grit mixture and are applied on unsafe and snow covered sidewalks and roadways.

Two things happen the moment the grit bins apply their mixture they are holding on the ground. The salt portion of the mixture will lower the melting point of the snow by providing a low temperature that can turn ice into liquid. This involves a chemical process wherein sodium chloried heat so that the sunshine, no matter how intense or little can melt the ice and snow. Once the ice has melted, the second process will provide traction to the surface through the grit in the mixture. Grit, which is usually made of sand, pebbles, and woodchips provide the traction for the non-slipping of the tires and people walking on the sidewalk.

This is an easier and much better alternative than shoveling snow off the pathways or using bulldozers and snow trucks to clear the road. Snow trucks, for one, are very expensive and requires high maintenance. In contrast, Grit Bin are easy on the budget and low maintenance as well. With snow covered roads, driving can be quite treacherous as wheels may suddenly spin out of control leading to possible accidents. When sidewalks are covered with snow, passersby have a huge chance of slipping and have injuries because of the slippery walkways.

The problem though is that these grit bins are only containers. The local council is the one responsible for supplying the salt-grit mixture to the people 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. This would mean that communities would need to provide shift assignments as to the shoveling and spreading of the salt-grit mixture in their communities.

The first grit bin designs were made of stone and concrete but these types of containers became easily brittle and lost their effectivity fast. As a measure, these receptacles were then built out of polyurethane plastic. These grit bins still experience damages but this time it is not because of the weather but the people who have a habit of vandalizing them. 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 have huge role in places that experience extreme weather conditions. Our sidewalks and roads are made less dangerous with their help since they are the ones that store the salt-grit mixture.