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The Universal Grit Bin

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 robust containers hold salt and grit mixture which is spread over snow covered roadways and sidewalks.

Two things happen when the grit bins spread the mixture on the snow covered pavement. First, the salt part of the mixture lowers the melting point of the snow, allowing for lower temperatures to turn the snow and ice into liquid. This is made possible thanks to a chemical process which involves sodium chloride absorbing ambient heat and therefore allowing the sun to melt the ice. The second action is physical change, where the grit provides traction because of the wet and icy result of the chemical change. 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 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 very low cost and low maintenance items to manage. 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, on the other hand, are only mere containers that store the grit mixture. The local council is the one responsible for supplying the salt-grit mixture to the people during their delivery runs. The next issue would be spreading the mixture on the roadways and the sidewalks. It actually depends on the local councils if they will also be the one providing the grit spreading service of if they will ask some of the local townsfolk to help. The latter option requires communities to work in rotation when it comes to spreading and shoveling grit mixture in their neighborhood.

Concrete and stone were the first materials used for grit bins but they proved ineffective because they became easily brittle and lost their effectivity in a short period of time. This is the reason why the later designs of grit bins were made 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. This container also face maintenance issues such as leaving their lids opens and letting moisture and rainfall render the mixture useless and tipping it over and leaving the mixture carelessly spilled on the surroundings.

As can be seen, 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.