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The Universal Salt bins

Grit Bin also known as salt bins are street furniture that are commonly found in places where freezing temperatures and snowfall is common. These containers hold salt and grit mixture and are applied on unsafe and snow covered sidewalks and roadways.

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 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 process is mainly more of a physical change wherein the grit provides traction to slippery surface caused by 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 is an easier and much better alternative than shoveling snow off the pathways or using bulldozers and snow trucks to clear the road. Besides from being expensive, snow trucks also require high maintenance as well. On the other hand, Grit Bin are low cost and does not need much maintenance as well. Accidents are very common when driving on snow covered roads with the wheels usually spinning out of control. Moreover, snow covered sidewalks are also very dangerous to passersby who may suffer from injuries caused by slipping.

The downside of grit bins is that there are merely containers of the mixture. As for the salt-grit mixture, it is the responsibility of the local council to supply it during their delivery runs. The act of spreading the mixture on the roadways and sidewalks is another issue. This service depends on the local councils, if they provide the grit spreading service or they require local townsfolk to do their share. The latter option requires communities to work in rotation when it comes to spreading and shoveling grit mixture in their neighborhood.

The first grit bin designs were brittle and easily lost their effectivity because they are made of stone and concrete. This is the reason why the later designs of grit bins were made of polyurethane plastic. Like their predecessors, grit bins still suffered damage and destruction not because of the weather but because of vandals from people with nothing better to do. There are also problems about leaving the lid of this bin open which renders the mixture useless because of the sun and rain and tipping it over leading to the spilling of its contents carelessly on the floor.

These information prove that Grit Bin perform a huge role in the community that often suffer from extreme weather. They keep salt-grit mixture that is essential to keep roads and sidewalks safe.