Design and Detailing Concrete Block Pavements
Design and Detailing Concrete Block Pavements
Design and Detailing Concrete Block Pavements
Published by Interpave
The Precast Concrete Paving & Kerb
Association
60 Charles Street, leicester LE1 1FB
Stretcher bond is suited to pedestrian areas and very lightly trafficked areas not subject to regular turn-
ing movements or frequent braking or acceleration. Block rows should be laid at right angles to traffic flow.
Basket weave or Parquet
This pattern is suited to pedestrian areas only and should not be used for trafficked areas.
Herringbone at 90º to an edge
Herringbone patterns are suitable for all applications. Either 90° or 45° Herringbone pattern oriented
to the longest straight edge should be used with vehicular areas. This reduces the incidence of
creep and distributes wheel loads more evenly to the underlying pavement construction.
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Coloured Blocks
Coloured blocks can be used to form patterns in a pavement, either for aesthetic or more func-
tional uses. Blocks can be used to create pictures and/or words, as well as chevron patterns on
traffic islands, yellow no-parking lines and car parking bay delineation.
Careful selection of the laying bond, the orientation of the bond and position of any breaks or
changes in the bond can reduce the amount of block cutting and speed up the laying process.
Falls
After an initial period of operation a concrete block pavement surface can be regarded as virtu-
ally impermeable in trafficked areas. It therefore requires gradients for drainage of surface water,
as for any surfacing material. Minimum crossfalls of 2.5% (1:40) and longitudinal falls of 1.25%
(1:80) are recommended for carriageways. Where proprietary drainage systems are used the
pavement should be laid with a minimum crossfall of 2.5% and the longitudinal fall as recom-
mended by the drainage manufacturer. For other areas minimum 1% (1:100) longitudinal falls
and 1.25% (1:80) crossfalls are recommended. To summarise:
• Carriageway Minimum Crossfall 2.5% (1:40)
• Carriageway Minimum Longitudinal Fall 1.25% (1:80)
• Other Areas Minimum Crossfall 1.25% (1:80)
• Other Areas Minimum Longitudinal Fall 1.0% (1:100)
• Carriageways with propriety drainage systems crossfalls 2.5% (1:40)
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Edge Details
To avoid small infill pieces of blocks (which are almost inevitable when cutting shaped blocks) it
is recommended that manufacturers' edge/end blocks be used to provide a straight line adjacent
to all perimeters and that the infill between the edge blocks and the edge restraint is filled by
using rectangular blocks, with any cutting being within this rectangular block area. Alternatively,
blocks can be saw cut and chamfered, to give the appearance of a manufactured block and may
be used directly against an edge restraints or against stretcher courses.
Wherever possible, avoid placing the cut face of a block against an adjacent edge restraint, as
shown below:
Cut faces should be positioned against an adjacent block chamfer to reduce the visual intrusion
of the square cut edge:
The above detail can be adopted as shown where the block pattern is square to the edge
restraint. With curved edge restraints or where the block pattern is not square to the edge
restraint a single stretcher course, double stretcher course or a header/soldier course can be
introduced against the kerb or edge restraint. Cut faces of blocks can then be positioned against
this course to reduce the visual impact of the cut, providing a neat finish and also making the
marking of the cut block much easier.
These details can be used with any bond, with a stretcher course of rectangular blocks used with
either rectangular or shaped blocks. Alternatively blocks can be saw cut and chamfered.
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Single stretcher course
kerb
single stretcher course
kerb
double stretcher course
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Soldier course
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Special fittings (mitre blocks)
Special starter units to ease laying are available for use with rectangular blocks laid in a 45° her-
ringbone pattern. These units may be used in rectangular areas, where the edge restraints are
at 45° to the block pattern, but should not be used on radii.
For individual manufacturers' special shapes there may be specific starter, edge and end blocks
available. Contact the Interpave Member companies for availability of these products.
Manhole Details
Ideally, manhole covers or gully frames with straight sides should be used to allow the block
paving to directly abut the frame. A stretcher course at this point, around the manhole, avoids cut
edges of blocks directly against the frame and ensures any cut edges are less intrusive. This
stretcher course may be laid on a mortar bed where there is a possibility of bedding sand migrat-
ing beneath the manhole surround. After compaction the block surface level should be 3-6 mm
above the manhole cover and frame to allow for any future settlement.
sand bed
3-6mm
1:3 cement
sand mortar
void
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The typical manhole details shown below use block paving stretcher courses. They also illustrate
the use of half blocks to "break the bond" and avoid the need for cut pieces of less than a quar-
ter of a block in length.
If a manhole cover or gully frame without straight sides is used, which will not allow the paving
to directly abut the frame, then a surround of C35 air entrained concrete to BS EN 206-1 should
be incorporated as shown above. Careful selection of the raw materials for the concrete and/or
the addition of suitable colour pigments can help reduce the visual impact of the concrete
surround.
This concrete surround should be a maximum of 100 mm wide and extend to the underside
of the laying course or manhole frame flange. Where an infill exceeding 100 mm is required
a stretcher course of blocks should be introduced to minimise the width of concrete surround.
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Drainage channels
Drainage channels can be formed using rectangular paving blocks laid on a mortar bed to pro-
duce a dished channel, with a concrete foundation below if the paving is subject to vehicular traf-
ficking. The compacted block surface level should be between 3 mm and 6 mm higher than sur-
face drainage channels and outlets for pedestrian areas.
Dished channel formed from blocks
laying course
sub base
in situ
concrete 1:3 cement & sand mortar bed
foundation
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Slotted drainage channel
precast concrete unit laying course
sub base
sub base
in situ
concrete
foundation
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