Material staging

The majority of paver projects will differ depending on access, site conditions, project size, and, of course, the weather. From a scheduling standpoint, these situations might have a significant influence on your project. When deciding when to begin paver installation, much attention should be given. Always strive to keep traffic to a minimum or prevent it on planned areas.

The supplies (sand / pavers) should always be dispersed across the project site by the foreman or project manager for quick and efficient installation. Paver pallets/bundles should be positioned such that they do not interfere with the paver installation. By lowering the overall work of handling the material, correct pallet/bundle arrangement can make the actual project installation easier and faster.

Patterns for brick pavers

Pavers, depending on their shape, can be laid out in a variety of patterns. The manufacturer will often give many distinct hatch patterns for each paver form.

The laying pattern and shape of the paver are important to the application's success. Contractors must evaluate the traffic weight stresses on their paver constructions. In all roadway and driveway applications, 90 or 45 degree herringbone patterns are suggested because they give the most load support and resist creeping caused by tyre turning and vehicle starting or braking. Pavers put in a herringbone pattern have shown to be adequate in the majority of applications globally.

The beginning point of a paver project is determined by a number of factors.

It is recommended to start installing pavers by snapping a true straight chalk line on the surface of the bedding sand or pulling a true straight string line above the surface of the bedding sand at the finishing elevation of the pavers. This will serve as a guide for maintaining straight joint lines and will allow the installer to make adjustments to the paver alignment.

Buildings and concrete curbing are not always straight and should not be used to create straight junction lines. String lines are also required to determine the true straightness of the edge. String lines will assist reduce the requirement for minor trim pieces as the paver installation advances.

The width of the joint between pavers should be between 1/16 and 3/16 in (2 and 5 mm ). Some pavers have spacer bars on their sides. These will keep the joint width to a minimum while yet allowing bedding and jointing sand to enter between each paver. Pavers with spacer bars are often not set in close proximity to one another because a string line will provide uniform joint spacing.

Brick paver installation

Hand installation of each paver is one of the most popular ways of paver installation in San Antonio. Install a single row of pavers along one of the true straight lines you've drawn or above the bedding sand. This will provide you with a straight and true line to work from. After you've established this row, you may continue to work your way out into the field with the rest of the pavers. Check your joint lines on a regular basis to ensure they are true and straight. If not, you can make modifications to the pavers as you go along. Pavers should be installed by hand. The best way is to stack pavers on top of each other and let them glide down into the bedding sand. Kicking or tapping the pavers into place can cause your lines to become crooked.

When putting pavers on a steep gradient, start at the bottom and work your way uphill. This keeps the pavers from creeping as they are laid.

Due of the labour difficulty, hand placing pavers would not be financially effective in large commercial and industrial applications. Mechanical installation is the ideal method for putting pavers on large projects. A mechanical laying machine can install roughly 6000 - 7000 square feet per day. Before placing pavers mechanically, a contractor should consider the following:

1.) Mechanical installers can only lay pavers in specific patterns.

2.) The contractor must ensure that the manufacturer is capable of manufacturing and bundling pavers in the desired pattern on pallets for easy mechanical installation.

3.) Contractors may find colour blending issues when unpacking paver bundles. Poor colour blending may result in a patchy-looking installation. Most manufacturers are consistent with colour mixing on each bundle of pavers, but it is the contractor's responsibility to assure accurate blending in the field.

Brick paver cutting processes

Pavers are often cut in two ways by contractors. Pavers are cut in one of two ways: 1) A guillotine with two blades, or 2) A gas-powered cut-off saw or brick saw fitted with a diamond blade. A diamond blade cut-off saw or brick saw will result in a considerably cleaner and more accurate cut. Most brick saws have a hose attachment that allows the operator to cut the pavers while they are wet. Cutting pavers while wet reduces dust and extends the life of the diamond blades. When cutting wet, the operator of the brick saw should always cut the pavers away from the surface of the paver field, because the pavers will generate slurry that will stain the paver surface. Cut pavers should not be too close together; enough space should be left for jointing sand.

The brick saw operator should always wear the necessary safety equipment when operating a saw, such as eye, ear, respiratory, and hand protection.

Types of edging

Edge restrictions are extremely important in the overall effectiveness of an interlocking pavement construction. Edging constraints prevent lateral movement of pavers and keep them securely together. Without an edging constraint, especially at the outer perimeter of the paver application, your project is doomed to fail over time.

Contractors can select from a number of different edging restrictions. The most frequent type of edge restraint utilised by contractors is manufactured edge restraints. Plastic edging, steel and aluminium edging, timbers, and precast concrete and stone are all examples of manufactured edge restrictions. Poured-in-place concrete curbs are a type of edging that is commonly utilised in commercial and industrial applications. Other contractors generally install this edging restriction.

Installation of edging

When putting in the edge constraint, make sure it sits directly on top of the compacted gravel base. The compacted gravel base course should reach at least 6in beyond the paver perimeter. This will create a solid basis for the edging restraint to sit on. Plastic, steel, or aluminium manufactured edging should be firmly fixed into the compacted gravel base (see the manufacturer's literature for the suggested spacing of the spikes). Some edging constraints will go deeper into the gravel base or beyond the base course ( i.E. Timbers or poured-in-place curbs ). Never place edging constraints right on top of bedding sand. This could cause bedding sand migration and eventual lateral displacement of the pavers. If bedding sand could be lost between the pavers and the edge restriction, geo textile fabric is advised. If the space between the pavers and the edging reaches 3/8" (10mm), it should be filled with cut pavers. To help give additional stability, all edging applications should be properly backfilled following installation.

Brick paver compaction

The pavers must be compacted after installation. The entire area to be compacted should be swept clean of any foreign items and dirt that could create scratching or scuffing on the paver surface.

It is critical to have a compactor that can apply between 3000lbs of force. And a centrifugal compaction force of 5000 lbs. Furthermore, the first compaction must take place before any jointing sand is placed to the pavers. If jointing sand is added to the pavers before compaction, it might induce bridging and prevent the joints from being properly filled with jointing sand. This can also make it difficult for the pavers to be properly set into the bedding sand.

When compacting the pavers, it is recommended that you make at least two passes across the pavers in opposite directions. This will correctly set the pavers in the bedding sand and force the bedding sand up into the joints from the bottom of the pavers.

The compaction of the pavers is crucial to their overall performance. Deformations and pavement failure can occur as a result of improper compaction.

Bradley Landscaping has over 12 years of expertise in the Landscape/Hardscape Industry. They serves residential, commercial, and governmental clients in Pipe Creek, San Antonio, USA.