Clearline Traffic Solutions

The Advantages of Rubber Parking Curbs over Concrete Parking Curbs

In the realm of parking curbs, rubber stands out as a superior choice over concrete. With its lightweight construction, enhanced visibility, and environmental friendliness, rubber parking curbs offer a compelling alternative, providing both ease of installation and long-term cost advantages.

You may know of these objects by a different name- wheel stop, parking block, parking bumper or truck stop; however, they all do the same thing, or they should. But do they really? 

Parking curbs are intended to ensure that vehicles come to a complete stop and prevent damage to buildings, vehicles, curbs, landscaping, and most importantly, to ensure the safety of pedestrians. The parking curbs prevent drivers from rolling to far forward (or backwards) in a parking stall and damaging property of their own, other vehicles in the lot, and the property being protected by the parking curb. The parking curbs are intended to stop the vehicle’s momentum and to alert the driver that they have pulled or backed completely into the stall.  

Parking curbs have been around for quite some time and for good reason. They save drivers and property owners potentially thousands of dollars in damage, daily. Historically, parking curbs have been manufactured using concrete but there are new players in the industry who have introduced rubber parking curbs to the market. Rubber parking curbs are the new kids on the block but, how do they shape up against their concrete competition? 

Concrete Parking Curbs 

Concrete is one of the oldest building materials used in modern construction. Parking curbs are precast meaning concrete is poured into a mold, allowed to harden, and then prepared for on-site installation. The most common type of parking curb is a concrete curb, due to the strength of the material which went unmatched for the longest time.  

Curbo Precast Concrete Parking Curbs | Precast concrete, Parking curb,  Concrete

Rubber Parking Curbs 

Rubber parking curbs are manufactured by companies like Clearline Technologies, using rubber from recycled tires. The rubber of tires is turned into crumb and then pressed into a mold that results in the solid final product. Rubber parking curbs have become more common in the industry as of late and for good reason. 

6′ CURBIE™ Pictured

Which is the better product? 

Ease of Installation and Movement 

The weight of a standard 6’ recycled rubber parking curb is between 35-40 lbs., while a 6’ concrete parking curb can weigh up to 300 lbs. In terms of ease of installation, the recycled rubber parking curb wins strictly based on the weight of the product. One person can easily carry, move, and install a rubber parking curb compared to the concrete product which will likely take a forklift, front-end loader, or bobcat, as well as two people to properly install. The safety comparison favors the rubber product over its concrete counterpart. 

Advantage: Rubber Parking Curb 

Visibility 

Rubber parking curbs are designed with high-visibility yellow reflectors that are easily seen by drivers at any light. The reflectors are very durable, holding up well in contact with vehicles and weather. 

Concrete parking curbs are less consistent in their design. Many concrete parking curbs are left in the natural concrete gray color, some are painted yellow. The paint on concrete parking curbs is subject to ongoing contact with vehicles and everchanging weather impact. The visibility of a concrete parking curb is very dependent on the property owner and their attention to detail and repainting the curb when needed. 

Advantage: Rubber Parking Curb 

Durability 

As mentioned in the visibility comparison, parking curbs are subject to many opposing forces. Depending on the geographical location of the parking curb, the product may be prone to freeze/thaw conditions, extreme UV or extreme rain and snow levels. Besides climate impacts, parking curbs are also constantly in the line of fire of vehicles. The constant contact with tires can take a toll on concrete curbs, causing the concrete to crumble, where the rubber equivalent does not show any ill-effects from contact with vehicles. 

Concrete is susceptible to the elements. Extreme contact with UV can cause the concrete product to crack. Once cracks originally occur, the product deteriorates quickly as water will enter the cracks, freeze, and thaw, leading to greater deterioration. Concrete curbs can also chip and crack on impact, as well as damaged by fluids from vehicles. 

Recycled rubber parking curbs are very resistant to the elements. They stack up well against extreme heat, cold, water, mechanical substances, impact, and UV radiation.  

 Advantage: Rubber Parking Curb 

Damage to Vehicles 

Spoiler alert: This section favors the rubber parking curb.  

It is not rocket science. A concrete parking curb may cause extensive and expensive damage to vehicles as it is not a forgiving structure, especially upon impact with a plastic bumper.  

Rubber parking curbs offer more give upon impact, as dents, scratches and punctures are almost non-existent when this form of collision occurs. 

Advantage: Rubber Parking Curb 

Environmentally Friendly 

Again, this section has a clear-cut winner, and it is in the name. Recycled-rubber parking curbs are exactly as advertised. Companies such as Clearline Technologies crumb recycled rubber from tires and mold the rubber crumb into the parking curbs, turning a waste chain into a new product. Based solely off weight, roughly two tires worth of rubber is used in the manufacturing of a recycled rubber parking curb. Every C-Port product purchased equates in less rubber finding its way into our landfills.   

Concrete does not have the same romantic story. After water, concrete is the most widely used substance on Earth. If the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest carbon dioxide emitter in the world with up to 2.8bn tonnes, surpassed only by China and the US. This statistic only proves that the rubber parking curb is a better environmental option than its concrete opposition. 

Advantage: Rubber Parking Curb 

Cost 

The original cost of a rubber parking curb and concrete parking curb are very similar. Installation of the concrete curb may prove to be costly as well, as the use of a forklift, loader, or Bobcat may be necessary. The main difference is the long-term cost of maintaining the concrete curb and the potential of having to replace the concrete curb multiple times before having to consider replacing the rubber product.  

C-Port’s Curbie rubber parking curb also comes with a 3-year warranty on the rubber, and a 1-year warranty on the high-visibility reflectors.  

Advantage: Rubber Parking Curb 

Conclusion 

This comparison resulted in heavily favoring the rubber parking curb over the concrete parking curb. The ease of installation and movement may be the most obvious aspect that leans the rubber products way. Environmentally speaking, the rubber product is removing rubber waste from our landfills as the concrete parking curb is contributing to one of the largest carbon-dioxide producing industries in the world.  

Overall, the rubber parking curb is the better overall parking curb. 

Where to Buy 

Check out our CURBIE™ product line here!

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