Directory:Article Heaven/Interlocking concrete pavers
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The picture to the right shows pavers being lifted. Notice the whole surface lifts, not just one paver. If one paver did move that one paver would eventually cause a rut. The fact that it does not move demonstrates the sand holding the pavers together.
Installation
[1] Step 1: Demolition – remove old driveway or patio. Go down a minimum of 7”.
Step 2: Compact the sub base – the dirt that will be directly under the base material.
Step 3: Install the base – Class II Road Base is used. This is composed of various sizes of gravel. See the picture of the sieve. A sieve is used to test soil and base material. There is a wire mesh at the bottom of each pan. At the top the mesh will allow ¾” rock through, the next one down will be ½”, then ¼” all the way to the last pan that will allow only “fines”. A fine is described as a particle that can pass through a #200 mesh. A #200 mesh has 350 openings per square inch. This is actually like a fine cloth. Water will not pass through a #200 mesh but fines will. So these particles are very small!
Certified base has correct quantities of all the above sizes so that it will compact to at least 95%. Imagine stepping on a field of marbles – they would move. Or even stepping in sand at the beach - not very firm. That’s because they are all the same size. Since certified base comes with the right proportions, the end result will be a very firm sturdy base.
The base should be compacted and at least twice as shown below.
File:First pass.jpg 1st recommended compacting pattern for compacting pavers |
File:Second pass.jpg 2nd recommended compacting pattern for compacting pavers |
To achieve the desired level of compaction, 95% base should be compacted in “lifts”. A lift is a layer of material, base, or dirt to be compacted. For base, the lifts should be no more than 4” thick. The compactor should be a very heavy duty machine that produces a minimum of 5000 psi. Smaller machines will never achieve the desired 95% compaction.
Step 4: The next step is the sand bedding. (this is angular sand as mentioned above) –a one inch sand bed is screeded in place, the pavers are laid on top.
Step 5: Cutting the pavers – the edges are cute with a dry saw and each fit precisely in place.
Step 6: Install restraints – Since pavers are set in sand, they need to be held together by something. What holds them together is the borders or the outside perimeter. This outside edge is referred to as a restraint. Once they are finally held in place, they can not move yet the entire surface is flexible. As compared to a poured in place concrete surface which is rigid. As a word, flexible, best describes the interlocking concrete surface whereas rigid would describe a concrete surface.
There are several types of restraints as shown below.
Step 7: Compacting the pavers – Once the restraints are in place, the next step is to compact the pavers in doing so, the pavers are pushed into the bedding sand and the sand is forced up between the pavers.
Step 8: Sand between the pavers – Once this is done more sand, either the same bedding sand or joint sand that comes in bags, is swept between the pavers and the pavers are compacted again. In using a vibrating plate compactor, all the joints between the pavers are filled.
See also
Video: How to Install Paving Stones
References
- ^ Pacific Pavingstone Installation Procedure
External Links
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