The Santa Clara Street Green Mobility Sidewalk Project, located across from the San Jos (Calif.) City Hall Rotunda, is a block-long pavement comprising
The Santa Clara Street Green Mobility Sidewalk Project, located across from the San Jos» (Calif.) City Hall Rotunda, is a block-long pavement comprising one of the first sidewalks to use green construction materials that significantly curtail carbon dioxide emissions and reduce storm water pollutants, city officials note. Key to the Green Mobility Sidewalk Project is the use of a concrete mix that replaces 70 percent of cement required for a standard design with recycled materials, such as blast furnace slag and fly ash, since cement production is both energy- and carbon-intensive.
San Jos» Public Works staff collaborated with local market leader Central Concrete Supply to develop ready mixed specifications that would minimize use of cement, yet maintain standard performance characteristics. Accordingly, the new mix design saves 390 pounds of cement per yard compared to a conventional mix. In addition to sparing CO2 emissions, reports the San Jos» Department of Public Works, the green mix costs the same or slightly less than traditional concrete. The innovative mix launched a new standard for curb, gutter, sidewalk and curb ramp construction in San Jos», saving thousands of tons of CO2 emissions annually in support of the city’s Green Vision goals.
To offset storm water pollution, the project also employs within its sidewalk park strip a total 935 sq. ft. of permeable pavers (approximately 700 units) provided by L5 Group. The 30 percent recycled-content, ceramic-based EkoPavers facilitate storm water drainage and filtration of pollutants, despite an impressive 8,900-psi compressive strength.
San Jos»’s Green Mobility Project aims to reduce carbon emissions and other environmental pollutants by providing critical infrastructure for energy-efficient technologies, such as smart LED streetlights, electric vehicle-charging stations, smart parking meters, and a solar cooling station. Appropriately, since Green Mobility is one aspect of city’s Green Vision agenda, the sidewalk area will serve as an entryway to the Green Vision Education and Demonstration Center Û a federally funded facility to be built on adjacent property and used for disseminating information about solar technologies and innovative financing options.
Û www.sanjoseca.gov/greenvision