Why is the sidewalk elevated?
In: Engineering
Keep water off when it rains? Where you live doe it rain a lot?
On of the primary reason is to keep car away from the sidewalk. If they at the same level it is quite easy to stat to use it as part of the road. If you have a line with stones or concrete elements that create a barriter you as a driver keep away from because hitting it can damage the tire and is not pleasant to cross at speed.. But you can cross it at low speed if it is needed for some reason.
Just marking it wild stones or lines in the road result that both cars and people that walk cross it a lot more so a elevated edge is better in separating them.
It is then better to keep the sidewalk so it is at the same level as the top of the stones so if you need to pass them as a pedestrian it is just a step down instead of an elevator line that you can trip on.
You can also build the road and sidewalk so they tilt the line of stones and it direct it to underground pipes to drain it away. so water collects on the edge if the road and away from the sidewalk so as large part of the road is as dry as possible.
Two reasons I’m aware of.
Roads are shaped convexly to direct water to the side of the road. The curb is there to keep the water at the edge of the road, and will lead water to a storm drain.
Second reason: safety. Human perception of a raised obstacle will keep them away from it as to not damage their vehicle.
In addition to the safety & drainage issues already mentioned,
roads used to be dirt. Mud when they were wet. An elevated walkway kept shoes & clothes *(especially long dressed!)* out of the mud.
Latest Answers