The city of Grand Rapids, MI has returned a downtown pedestrian mall, closed to traffic since November 1970, back to a street. The project called for snow melting from store front to store front, including the street.

There are many benefits to snow melting, such as no more need to plow snow, or the need to use salt (both would be very damaging to the decorative brick pavers used in the street and sidewalk areas). Cleaner, dryer streets and walks benefit store owners by having safe, clean, and easy access to their businesses. Steam from the County's trash incinerator was delivered to a unique heat transfer system that provides the energy required.

The project design criteria was based on zero degrees Fahrenheit outside temperature with 10 mile per hour winds, and melt snow at the rate of two inches per hour. The system is totally automated and is designed to maintain a standby (idle) surface temperature of 39 degrees F. The surface temperature is automatically increased to a maximum of 45 degrees F when moisture is detected by the special sensors. When moisture is no longer detected by the sensors, the system returns to the idle mode.

The total project encompassed 66,000 square feet, and utilized 124,000 feet of 5/8" PEX-C UV resistant tubing set 6" on center. This required approximately 400 loops of pipe at 310 feet each on 70 manifolds.

The project was completed in stages; first the side walks, then the streets. Decorative brick pavers were used in both areas over a concrete slab.