Why does the sidewalk sparkle

By all means — DO research! Mission Mission. Next Post ». Sparkly sidewalks Posted Aug 31, at am by Andrew Sarkarati.

Categories: Life in the Mission. Brian says:. August 31, at am. Mike says:. Pedro Navaja says:. Victor says:. GG says:. Brillo says:. Beautiful, durable and nonslip… what more could you want from a concrete surface that dazzles its beholders? He has been using the product to dress up otherwise ordinary slabs for some years. To make the sparkle even more prominent, he recommends integrally coloring the concrete mix.

This metallic aggregate from Pacific Palette Concrete Products comes in black and white. Sparkle Grain is recommended where you want a decorative, hard, nonslip surface. The glitzy grit is designed for light to heavy usage on floors, patios, walkways, driveways, steps and ramps in places from homes, shopping centers and wineries to museums, schools and stores.

They can also be as heavy as three seedings. You should apply it after you have screeded, wood floated, magnesium floated and troweled the concrete. Regardless of the method, for best results, the crew member with the best hand and eye coordination should broadcast the product. Email this question link to friends Please enter e-mail address and name for each friend..

Search for questions : Search. My Profile. Open Questions Why do streets and sidewalks sparkle? Cement is primarily made up of calcium carbonite, commonly called calcite. This calcite crystal mined in Tennessee is just one of a variety of crystal forms the mineral can be found in: While a crystal of this size would probably be set aside, smaller chunks regularly end up in calcite used for making cement.

After being ground and heated these crystals are evenly dispersed, making the cement sparkle. Sidewalks and side streets are more likely to sparkle than major roads as highways are generally made out of asphalt.

This compound is made out of cement covered in tar, obscuring the crystals. Question Title. Character Count Max. Save Cancel. The streets that we all share is where this journey takes place. Despite my dad's advice to "always keep my head up" in New York, I couldn't help but notice that the very sidewalks seemed to sparkle beneath my feet, as if paved with the dust of dreams. Was this just in my imagination? Or could there really be glitter in the streets?

I decided to find out. Click here to watch the adventure of figuring it all out.