RUBBER PLAYGROUNDS

Grey River Argus, 11 October 1949, Page 3

RUBBER PLAYGROUNDS

This city—often called the rubber capital of the U.S—is preparing to substitute rubber for conventional crushed slag mixed with asphalt on children’s playgrounds here. Credit for the idea, which is said “should materially reduce the skinned arms, legs etc., of youngsters falling in play,” goes to engineers of the Goodyear tire and rubber company who recently completed a test installation at the city’s Rankin School. The idea of “rubber playgrounds” is the outgrowth of Goodyear experimental work in building rubber asphalt experimental highways. In installing the new playgrounds, crushed stone is first applied to a foundation. Then it is sealed with a “hot mix” asphalt and this base covered with a half-inch of ground rubber. The yard is then rolled to impregnate the rubber particles into the asphalt.