Editing Sidewalk (section)

==Construction==
Contemporary sidewalks are most often made of [[concrete]] in North America, while [[Tarmacadam|tarmac]], [[Asphalt concrete|asphalt]], [[brick]], [[List of stone|stone]], [[stone slab|slab]] and (increasingly) [[rubber]] are more common in Europe.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2011/10/13/tech/innovation/pavegen-kinetic-pavements/index.html | work=CNN | first=George| last=Webster| title=Green sidewalk makes electricity one footstep at a time | date=2011-10-13}}</ref> Different materials are more or less friendly environmentally: pumice-based [[trass]], for example, when used as an extender is less energy-intensive than Portland cement concrete or petroleum-based materials such as asphalt or tar-penetration macadam. Multi-use paths alongside roads are sometimes made of materials that are softer than concrete, such as asphalt.

Some sidewalks may be built like a Meandering Sidewalk. The meandering sidewalk is the wavy sidewalk that veers back and forth at the side of the road, no matter how straight the street. These sidewalks are common in North America and are used to break up the monotonous alignments of city blocks.

===Wood===
In the 19th century and early 20th century, [[Boardwalk|sidewalks of wood]] were common in some North American locations. They may still be found at historic beach locations and in conservation areas to protect the land beneath and around, called [[boardwalk]]s.

===Brick===
Brick sidewalks are found in some urban areas, usually for aesthetic purposes. Brick sidewalks are generally consolidated with [[brick hammer]]s, rollers, and sometimes [[Vibrator (mechanical)|motorized vibrators]].

<gallery mode="packed" align="center" style="text-align:left">
File:Brick sidewalk, EDS, Cambridge.jpg|[[Cambridge, Massachusetts]] 
File:Yeonamyulgeum-ro Sidewalk in Cheonan City 20270720.jpg|[[Cheonan]], [[South Korea]]
File:Verbanden.png|Four [[tessellation]]s used in laying 
</gallery>

===Stone===
[[File:Stone slab sidewalk.jpg|thumb|Stone slab sidewalk|upright=1]]
[[Rock (geology)|Stone]] slabs called ''[[flagstone]]s'' or ''flags'' are sometimes used where an attractive appearance is required, as in historic town centers.

For example, in [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]], [[bluestone]] has been used to pave the sidewalks of the CBD since the [[Gold rush]] in the 1850s because it proved to be stronger, more plentiful and easier to work than most other available materials.

===Stone and concrete pavers===
{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | total_width = 230
 | image_style = border:none;

 | image1 = Sidewalk construction.JPG
 | alt1 = 
 | caption1 = Installation of crushed stone underlayment for drainage

 | image2 = Sidewalk construction 2.JPG
 | alt2 = 
 | caption2 = Installation of paver blocks
}}
Pre-cast concrete [[paver (flooring)|pavers]] are used for sidewalks, often colored or textured to resemble stone. Sometimes [[cobblestones]] are used, though they are generally considered too uneven for comfortable walking.

===Concrete===
[[File:Making cement sidewalks, Lake Crystal, Minnesota - DPLA - c382ece36053a381cfb1b1eebdf26c45 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|Workers constructing concrete sidewalk in [[Lake Crystal, Minnesota]] in 1905]]
[[File:2014-06-12 10 38 10 Fresh sidewalk along U.S. Route 95 (West Winnemucca Boulevard) near Melarkey Street and Nevada State Route 289 (Winnemucca Boulevard) in Winnemucca, Nevada.JPG|thumb|upright=1|Concrete sidewalk with horizontal strain-relief grooves in [[Winnemucca, Nevada]] in 2014]]
In the United States and Canada, the most common type of sidewalk consists of a poured concrete "ribbon", examples of which from as early as the 1860s can be found in good repair in San Francisco, and stamped with the name of the contractor and date of installation.{{citation needed|date=February 2015}} When [[Portland cement]] was first imported to the United States in the 1880s, its principal use was in the construction of sidewalks.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=The Cement Age: A Magazine Devoted to the Uses of Cement|volume=2|issue=9|page=652|title=What Cement Users Owe To The Public|author=Robert W. Lesley}}</ref>

Today, most sidewalk ribbons are constructed with cross-lying strain-relief grooves placed or sawn at regular intervals, typically {{convert|5|ft|m}} apart. This partitioning, an improvement over the continuous slab ribbon, was patented in 1924 by Arthur Wesley Hall and William Alexander McVay, who wished to minimize damage to the concrete from the effects of tectonic and temperature fluctuations, both of which can crack longer segments.<ref>Mario Theriault, ''Great Maritime Inventions – 1833–1950'', Goose Lane Editions, 2001, p. 73</ref> The technique is not perfect, as freeze-thaw cycles (in cold-winter regions) and tree root growth can eventually result in damage which requires repair.

In highly variable climates which undergo multiple freeze-thaw cycles, concrete blocks will be formed with separations, called expansion joints, to allow for thermal expansion without breakage.  The use of expansion joints in sidewalks may not be necessary, as the concrete will shrink while setting.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.concreteconstruction.net/concrete-construction/expansion-joints-not-needed-in-sidewalk.aspx |title=Expansion Joints Not Needed in Sidewalk - Concrete Construction |date=January 1995 |access-date=2014-05-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521152040/http://www.concreteconstruction.net/concrete-construction/expansion-joints-not-needed-in-sidewalk.aspx |archive-date=2014-05-21 }}</ref>

===Tarmac and asphalt===
In the [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]] and [[France]] suburban sidewalks are most commonly constructed of [[Asphalt concrete|tarmac]]. In [[urban area|urban]] or [[inner-city]] areas sidewalks are most commonly constructed of slabs, stone, or brick depending upon the surrounding street [[architecture]] and [[street furniture|furniture]].