Infrastructure Sustainability can be defined as infrastructure that is designed, constructed and operated to optimise environmental, social and economic outcomes of the long term.
Public footpaths and cycleways are essential infrastructure. They make it easier for people to get around their community, exercise regularly and feel more connected.
In the past, during design and construction, councils have favoured a variety of different jointing systems. These include contraction joints (trowelled or saw-cut), expansion joints, key joints – with or without dowels – and steel mesh continuous through the joint. All have proved disappointing over the long term. They simply were not designed with sustainability in mind.
Unlike TripStop, none of these systems stop slabs displacing when the soil moves or when tree roots grow. Slab displacement creates tripping hazards for users, resulting in costly repairs and replacements that pollute the environment and disrupt services and amenities.
If you’ve read our story, you’ll know that our CEO Peter Mclean’s concerns for the environment motivated him to invent TripStop. He wanted to create a sustainable choice that councils could rely on for the long term.
Since 2002, over 200 councils around Australia and New Zealand have embraced TripStop as the best choice for building sustainable pathways. In that time, we’ve had no fails, which means those public footpaths and cycleways have remained maintenance-free.
Once you remove tripping hazards and the associated repairs from footpaths and cycleways, ever-increasing maintenance budgets become ever-decreasing ones. But there are plenty of other ways TripStop contributes to sustainability.
Cost Benefit CalculatorWhen you use TripStop, you can design and build maintenance-free footpaths and cycleways that deliver economic, social and environmental benefits. Here are just a few:
Fewer risks for users, fewer accidents and no subsequent costly legal action (saving your council time and money too).
Essential trees and plants are not harmed or removed to make way for pathways. Plus, people can access the demonstrated mental health benefits of spending time in nature.
No ongoing maintenance costs for slab displacement mean your council has extra funds you can reallocate for years to come.
It’s no longer necessary to grind slabs or generate more CO2 by manufacturing extra concrete to patch or replace slabs.
Safe, accessible footpath and cycleway networks encourage people to exercise near where they live or work. Healthier communities generate large-scale nationwide healthcare savings.
There are greater economic benefits for businesses located in more walkable communities. The easier it is for people to get around their community – the more local businesses thrive. (Learn more from this ABC podcast.)
In tree-lined suburban streets, houses have been found to increase in value, which is great for the owners and generates more revenue for the council.
Creating more sustainable infrastructure that reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for all our clients has consistently been our goal.
Our PVC profiles are 100% recyclable, plus we recommend compatible products and systems that support our approach. One such product is Macro Synthetic Fibre (MSF), a better, stronger, more sustainable type of reinforcement.
So, if you’re seeking the ultimate solution for maintenance-free, sustainable pathways – TripStop + Macro Synthetic Fibre is the best option.
Our proven track record as the only concrete jointing system that’s guaranteed to last means we can help you prioritise sustainability.