Contrary to many students' beliefs, the warm air gushing through metal grates on Miami University's campus are not heated sidewalks.
Mark Lawrence, the manager of utility systems on campus, clarified this common misconception.
"The grates in some sidewalks are for ventilation of and maintenance access to the utility tunnels below," Lawrence said. "The hot steam and water pipes in the tunnels are insulated to retain the heat inside, but there is a small amount of leakage. This leakage heats the air around the pipes. The hot air is more so a byproduct."
In fact, Lawrence said many of these underground utility tunnels are located directly underneath sidewalks.
"The sidewalk, in some cases, is actually the roof of a utility tunnel below. The hot air within the tunnel heats the concrete slab that you perceive as the sidewalk from above," Lawrence said. "So there was no conscious decision to heat sidewalks.
Hot air rises and enters a grate as it exits the tunnel, while other grates have cold air rushing back in to replace the hot air, Lawrence added.
He said there are some positive aspects to having sidewalks placed directly above these underground tunnels.
"The lost heat is providing some benefit in the winter months by maintaining the sidewalk above the freezing point so ice and snow melt in contact with those warm sidewalks/tunnel tops," he said.
The piping system has also been implemented in an attempt to be more financially efficient for the school.
"We insulate the hot pipes to retain the heat as there is a cost to the university to generate that heat," Lawrence said. "The heat loss and its associated cost are a small part of a large expense to heat 100 of the largest buildings on campus. That cost is shared by all academic and business units within the buildings served."
As for whether or not these grates pose any danger to students, Lawrence assured they are, for the most part, safe.
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"Generally, there is only a risk if the grate is left open and unattended," Lawrence said. "When a service is being performed, a worker is normally assigned to watch the opening or a temporary gate structure is erected. We have been known to park a service vehicle over an opening to ensure no one is harmed. After a service is complete, the grate is welded or chained in place."
Some students, on the other hand, do not feel the same way. Sophomore Joe Larson avoids the grates when he's walking around campus.
"They just seem kind of unsafe," he said. "They don't look completely stable."
Sophomore Alli Thomas said she normally avoids the grates as well.
"Sometimes when it's cold I'll walk across them because of the heat," she said. "But other than that, I don't usually walk across them." According to a Miami Student article from October 2011, one student fell through the grates and was injured. The article states that Assistant Tradeshop Manager Phillip Bowling advises students to simply avoid walking across the grates.
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