Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Notable Leaders in Sustainability
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics Caps + Closures: A Global Online Event
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Bioplastics Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • PFAS Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Resin Prices Overview
    • Commodity Thermoplastics
    • High Temperature Thermoplastics
    • Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Thermosets
    • Europe - Virgin
    • Europe - Recycled
    • Europe - Feedstock
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
August 28, 2015 02:00 AM

Boardwalk makeover: NYC using plastic, concrete to rebuild Coney Island boardwalk

Catherine Kavanaugh
Senior Reporter
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    NYC Parks
    Visitors walk and fish along Coney Island's Steeplechase Pier, which was outfitted with plastic lumber.

    For 92 years, the Coney Island boardwalk has beckoned crowds from near and far to stroll, skate and cycle hardwood planks that stretch 2.7 miles between sandy beaches and seaside attractions.

    The boardwalk has become an enduring symbol of New York City, offering respite, recreation and a route to the classic wooden Cyclone roller coaster, legendary hot dog eating contests — the record: 62 downed in 10 minutes — and Saturday night burlesque shows.

    However, time and SuperStorm Sandy have taken their toll on the famous promenade. And some are saying a plan to replace the tropical wood boards with concrete and recycled plastic lumber will be the final ruin of the iconic destination.

    The first phase of reconstruction is underway at Brighton Beach. High density polyethylene planks made from recycled milk jugs and detergent bottles by Tangent Technologies LLC of Aurora, Ill., will soon be installed atop a concrete substructure.

    The faux wooden boards will flank a central concrete strip for five blocks in this initial $6.9 million step of the renovation. The polymer material is enjoyable, durable and sustainable in that it prevents further deforestation of the rainforest, according to the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.

    “As an environmentally conscious and design-forward material, we couldn't have done better,” spokesman Sam Biederman said in a telephone interview.

    Maeri Ferguson, who handles media inquiries related to Brooklyn for NYC Parks & Recreation, added in an email: “In fact, to reconstruct the entire boardwalk with tropical hardwoods would destroy 45,200 acres of tropical rainforest — the equivalent of roughly 34,000 football fields — and contribute to the very climate change that destroyed the boardwalk in the first place.”

    NYC Parks

    A rendering of Brighton Beach's boardwalk shows plastic lumber on both sides of a concrete lane.

    Synthetic critics

    Opponents, who started a Save the Boardwalk website, call the plan “myopic stewardship.” They say they're not asking for tropical hardwoods. They want to see it restored with domestic wood like black locust or white oak. They wave signs that say “Boardwalk. Not sidewalk.” at rallies. And, as for the low-maintenance benefit of polymer planks, one resident pointed to money spent at Central Park and suggested that “maybe we should put in plastic grass and plastic trees.”

    Passionate preservationists are trying for a second time to have the 42-block boardwalk designated a scenic city landmark and kept a wooden walkway. They say real wood looks better, feels better underfoot, and is part of the draw for millions of visitors needing an escape from the concrete-filled city.

    One detractor is Steven Cymbrowitz, a New York state lawmaker who in 2009 helped direct a $10 million grant to fix the structure officially called the Riegelmann Boardwalk.

    “This is an underhanded misuse of the money and the mayor [Bill De Blasio] knows it,” Cymbrowitz said in a statement in November, when the construction fence went up. “I will work to make sure that the millions of dollars I allocated are cut off. I fought hard for the boardwalk to be repaired, not to fund the elimination of the boardwalk as this community and all New Yorkers know it.”

    Why not wood?

    Defenders of the plan contend it is in keeping with the boardwalk that generations of New Yorkers and visitors know and love. The city will use a Tangent Technologies product called PolyForce, which is embossed with a wood grain, has a weathered appearance, comes with a 50-year warranty, and should last much longer.

    “The new boardwalk will mirror the look and feel of a traditional boardwalk while adding critical strength and resilience, which will protect the Coney Island community and stand up to floods and hurricanes,” Ferguson said in an email.

    The parks department website has a lot of information about surface material evaluations compiled by the staff, the Mayor's Office of Recovery and Resiliency and the Public Design Commission. They found domestic hardwoods cost $144 per square foot compared to $126 per square foot for recycled plastic lumber with a concrete carriage lane.

    They also say the domestic hardwoods today are “new growth” subject to earlier decay. And, domestic hardwood isn't readily available in the quality, quantity and length needed for such a large-scale project. The original boardwalk used 3.6 million feet of timber.

    Plastic pluses

    PolyForce, which is made of HDPE with foaming agents in the base resin, is used by many cities and departments of transportations (DOTs) for applications like decks, boardwalks and bridge fenders. The DOTs are one of Tangent Technologies's biggest client bases, Alan Potts, the company's sales manager for structural marine projects, said in a telephone interview.

    “The root-cause reason isn't just the durability,” he explained. “Or, that it doesn't rot or require maintenance or leach toxins into the water — all advantages over treated timber, which it has replaced. The main reason is that it will absorb energy from impacts much better than wood. A similar cross section of recycled plastic lumber will absorb 15 times the energy of a piece of wood. Whether it's in fendering for bridge pier protection or decking on a pier, when it's subjected to impacts as might be the case during a storm, it's going to fare very well.”

    For government agencies on limited budgets, Potts said recycled plastic lumber is gaining popularity. As for its appearance, he said New Yorkers need only look at Steeplechase Pier, which juts out from the boardwalk, to get an idea of what the PolyForce part of the boardwalk will be like.

    The pier, which extends far over the Atlantic Ocean, bore the brunt of Sandy with boards broken off and swept away. Tangent Technologies won the bid to provide the recycled plastic lumber for the city.

    “It was a bit of a trial, putting one toe in the water for them,” Potts said. “They were looking for something durable and low maintenance. Overall, they were very happy with the material. We're now engaged with the boardwalk itself and it's really, I think, on the back of the success of Steeplechase Pier.”

    Poly compromise

    The pair of projects in the Big Apple is far from the biggest Tangent Technologies has supplied.

    “We did a bridge at San Francisco Bay that took 45 truckloads of material,” Potts said. “This is not a huge project for us but it is a significant one in that it is so close to the heart of the local community. It's one of our more high-profile projects at the moment.”

    He has followed the debate from the sidelines, noting comments from bicyclists who prefer all concrete and complain about boardwalk fasteners tearing their tires; walkers, who like “the springiness” of boards; and “traditionalists,” who want hardboard like the way it has been since 1923.

    “Different people want different things and they're all pretty vocal,” Potts said. “I think the city played a great role in diplomatically seeking input from the community and trying to appease everybody. They've come up with a hybrid design with a concrete center and on either side two sections of the traditional deck look.”

    Potts said he hopes he's not naive but after a career in recycled plastic lumber, he has seen a lot of public hesitation about the material at the start of projects and then almost always gets compliments when they're done.

    “I often revisit past installations,” Potts said. “I've gotten to know the country from projects we've done. I'll take pictures and strike up a conversation with people. I'm happy to get their opinions and the reaction is almost always we love this. I've been to Steeplechase Pier many times since it was finished and I've had nothing but positive feedback. I haven't honestly had anyone complain that it's plastic.”

    This part of the boardwalk rebuild has a targeted completion date of May 2016.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Auto suppliers plan for uncertainty amid UAW strike, shift to EVs
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Auto suppliers plan for uncertainty amid UAW strike, shift to EVs
    2
    An 8,000-ton dream for Milacron, 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics
    3
    ABB to double injection molding capacity at Quebec plant
    4
    Some resin prices take a hike at the end of summer
    5
    An education in manufacturing as shop returns to a New York school
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Find more newsletters at plasticsnews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Notable Leaders in Sustainability
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Videos
      • Podcasts
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics Caps + Closures: A Global Online Event
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Bioplastics Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • PFAS Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Resin Prices Overview
      • Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temperature Thermoplastics
      • Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Recycled Plastics
      • Thermosets
      • Europe - Virgin
      • Europe - Recycled
      • Europe - Feedstock
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified